Across the Sun
by Liz Hollow
Summary: After May's sudden disappearance, Steven Stone discovers a letter left behind by the lost champion. Filled with instructions and hints to find the other letters she left throughout the country, Steven finds himself on a journey looking for May and her hidden letters. Yet the more letters he finds, the more he fears what lies at the end.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

To whom it may concern,

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of seeing the world and training the strongest Pokémon. I would watch television every night and stare at the screen with wide eyes, praying for the day that I could leave home. It is a rite of passage in our country, as you may or may not very well know, and it was one for which I felt ready for a long time.

My mother assured me that I could leave home when I turned sixteen, and she always kept her promises. On my sixteenth birthday, she gave me a bag and some running shoes and sent me off on my very own adventure. The local professor in my town gave me a rare Pokémon, a Torchic with which I was entrusted, and it became my duty to raise and care for that tiny creature.

Why do we do this? Why does our country insist that we teenagers leave home and roam the world without anyone to tell us where to go or who to talk to or who to trust? To bring us back? To make it so we always return when we realize that there are some things that we can never hope to handle? To teach us a lesson?

Well, what was the lesson? I left home… I raised that Torchic into the strongest Blaziken in all of Hoenn. Did I learn things by being on my own for over a year? Yes, of course. It was impossible to be sent off all alone and not learn things—about myself, about the world. But some of those things hurt. Lessons weren't always easy.

But I made a name of myself, put on a façade of a heroine. When after I pretended to be something I wasn't for so long, I started to acquire some of those qualities, and not the better ones. I became like Icarus, letting myself get too close to the sun because I thought I could. Eventually, after flying across the sun for too long, my wings melted, and I fell back down.

Now, you may be wondering—or perhaps not—why I decided to leave this letter behind. While contemplating what I wanted to write in this letter, I also wondered the same thing. Why bother leaving a letter if I expected no response? Well, letter-writing is a lost art form. Everyone needs to write a letter every now and again, and everyone needs to opportunity to read one. But that is not the main purpose of this letter.

My journey was not what I expected, and I was let down by myself. I did everything I ever wanted—I travelled the world, trained Pokémon… but things are not always what they seem when viewed at face value. I left home and lost myself among the crowd, and I became someone I've never been. I'm not tough. I'm not brave.

I have not, as you can see, addressed this letter to anyone in particular. I am asking you—whoever you are—not to share the contents of this letter with anyone else. These words are for you and you only. However, if you choose to share this with someone else, I cannot and will not stop you. Just know that a guilty conscience can be a heavy burden.

I have left behind a series of letters behind for you, this being the first. Should you choose to embark on this journey I have planned for you, you will be led across this country to a variety of places. Each letter contains a clue that leads you to the next letter, with some letters requiring you to participate in certain activities custom to that region. It is my hope that you choose to find the rest of the letters. I want you to have a better adventure than I ever had.

Now, you may also wonder why I wish for you to keep this a secret. If you are the first to find this, then perhaps you are the first to realize that I am gone. Others may have already begun the search for me. Whatever the case, you will be the only one with proof that I have left this place. This is evidence that the police will surely confiscate. If you want to play my game, you are much better off playing it alone.

And if you choose not to play my game, know that giving this letter over to the police will do nothing. It's too late for that.

I hope you make a good decision. Note that I did not say the "right" decision, as I know that not giving this letter to the police would be a poor decision. Still, there is something to be said for adventure. When you are done with the itinerary I have planned for you, you will no longer be the same person—but if that person still chooses to go to the police at the end, I have no problems with that.

Now, at the conclusion of each of my letters, I promised a clue. This will hopefully lead you in the right direction to finding the next letter. These clues are not intended to trick you or lead you astray; instead, they are meant to guide you on a strategic course throughout our land. However, I want to test your mind, as well. Is this not the point of a journey?

Clue #1: The beginning of life is said to be the easiest because you cannot remember it. In the far reaches of this place, deep within the shadows, I left a letter where disaster ceased.

This is all the information I give to you. Please prepare yourself for this journey, as it will not be an easy one. Should you not have time, make time. This will be well worth your while, after all, and how many people can say that they were sent on an adventure by me, the chosen Icarus of our land?

Go now: "To whom it may concern"—if you are concerned at all—good luck.

Best regards,

Ex-Champion May

* * *

**Author's Note:** As per your suggestions on my poll, this is my newest multi-chaptered fanfiction: adventure/romance. Although this may seem like a super angsty story, future chapters will not be so depressing. The remaining chapters will not be in May's POV, with the exception of the letters she writes, but in Steven's POV.

Anyway, I expect to get busy in the near future, but I'll try to get chapters up at least once a week. We'll see how that goes. Obviously this chapter is very short, seeing as it is a prologue, so I want to get another (much longer) chapter up soon.


	2. Icarus Fallen

**Chapter One – Icarus Fallen**

Panic swept through the region the second the news came out that May vanished. Police forces immediately started their search, knocking on doors and asking hundreds of questions to hundreds of people. The air was saturated with murmurs of conspiracies and plots, the shifting eyes of people watching always reminiscent of her disappearance. The uproar had not been so large in Kanto when Red disappeared, but perhaps they were more reasonable there. Or maybe they always knew that he was sitting on top of a mountain not too far away.

Then again, Red was not the superstar that May became when she stopped Team Aqua from flooding the world. All of Hoenn knew her name and recognized her face when it popped up on a television screen, a bright smile always shining from the teenage celebrity's face. When she waved into the camera and blew a kiss at the screen, everyone melted. Of course, I melted long before this girl smiled and waved.

It was because I did, and because I thought I knew her so well, that panic swept through me, too. Surely she wouldn't have gone away on her own without telling me—her mentor, her friend—where she was going. Even Red had given some hints, even if no one found him for nearly three years. But as the investigation continued, nothing came forward. No one knew where May went or what happened to her.

The news tried to update the public every day, but the details were always the same. They always played the same bit of footage over and over and over again, until the words became instilled in my brain—May's final interview, the one she gave the day before she disappeared. It was funny that one day she could be so close to the public eye, and the next day she was as far away as one could get.

"Well, I always wanted to travel," she told interviewer that day, and even though she was years older now, her smile remained as large as ever. "I love being here, though. Hoenn is my home, and even though I want to go away sometimes, there is too much holding me back here: the people, my family, my friends… Besides, I've been blessed with so many wonderful opportunities. Who am I to ask for more?"

I didn't see that interview until they started airing it on the news once she disappeared, but it was so like her—when I saw her eyes gleaming, the smile on her lips, it was all so genuine. She loved this place, and she loved the people in it. The duties of being the Champion had treated her better than they ever treated me.

This was just one reason why the police came for me first.

"Steven Stone, we have a warrant." They banged on my door with their fists, lucky that I was home. Considering how often I left this place, the chances of them catching me here were slim. Somehow, though, they knew, and I had a feeling people had been talking. It had been a month since May disappeared, and there were more signs leading towards a kidnapping than anything else.

Because why would anyone happy ever want to leave their happiness behind?

I opened the door for the policemen, turning and walking back into the depths of my home as they entered. I sat down on my couch, staring at the display cases against my wall, while they hurried past, going wherever they pleased. Only one of the men stopped in front of me, blocking my view of my precious gems, and he cleared his throat.

"I thought you already questioned me, Jameson," I said, standing up and moving around the chief. He turned with me, standing beside me and looking down at the emerald gleaming in the crystal box. I shoved my hands in my pockets, raising my eyebrows at the white-haired man in blue. Surely if he wanted me arrested, he would have already done it.

"Steven, this has gone on for too long now. The public is getting antsy—they need answers." Jameson's eyes flashed up from the emerald and towards me instead. "May was close with you. She would have told you where she was going if she had any choice in the matter. So, I have a feeling that you're not telling me something."

"Believe me, I would tell you everything if I knew anything. May was always impulsive—she did things because she felt like it, not because she understood the consequences of her actions." I gestured towards the kitchen, where a woman and two men were currently searching through cabinets for any clues. "Would you like a drink?"

Jameson held up a hand, brushing aside my offer. "It is highly unlikely that she went off on her own. There is no evidence pointing towards that. There are no records of her boarding a ship or taking a plane to any of the other regions, and her Pokémon would never survive a journey that far. Not to mention that she seemed perfectly content with her life. Why would someone so happy just leave all of that behind without telling anyone?"

Something clanged in the kitchen, and I leaned over to get a better look of the policeman dropping my pots and pans from the cupboard above the stove. This was what this investigation had come to? A warrant to check through my kitchen cabinets? Surely even Jameson realized that this whole thing was farfetched.

"You really don't think that I would kidnap her, do you, sir?" I asked, and Jameson shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

"Of course I don't, Steven, but this is all standard procedure. There is evidence to suggest that you may have had something to do with her disappearance. She dethroned you, after all. Shouldn't you feel at least a little bitter about that?" Jameson raised his eyebrows at me, but I rolled my eyes and folded my arms. "Really, Steven."

"She _earned_ it, Jameson. Why would I be bitter about something she deserved? Besides, she's a better champion than I ever was," I assured him, walking back towards the couches but not sitting down. "Trust me, sir. I am _not_ the type of person to get angry about something like that. Anyway, if I was really in trouble, you would have read me my rights."

Jameson laughed, his furry white mustache bouncing up and down. "You're not under arrest, Stone. I just wouldn't leave the region for a little while if I were you." He laughed again, but I knew it was no joke this time. "Let's just hope that we don't find anything here and pray that May shows up in the near future."

Well, I had been praying for the past month, but that hadn't done much good. If May wanted to be found, she would have, assuming no one had kidnapped her. But if she really was the one in charge of her own disappearance, I had a feeling she could play this game pretty damn well. Considering the whole region was looking for her and she was the most well-known person in all of Hoenn, she must have gone out of her way to vanish.

One of the policewomen stepped into the living room, a hand thrust to her forehead as she addressed her chief. "We're all done searching, sir. There was nothing of interest here."

"All right, then, gather up the men." Jameson sighed as the girl went back into the kitchen, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You're a good man, Stone. That much I know. My only recommendation is that you be extremely diligent. Everyone is looking for just a single excuse to blame someone for her disappearance. You don't want to get pulled into that anymore than you already are."

"Thank you, sir."

"Oh, and if you think of anything—anyplace that May liked to go, anywhere she mentioned to you about wanting to go—don't hesitate to call me up." Jameson let go of my shoulder, calling the rest of his men back into the room and watching them file out my front door. This was a waste of my time. "Be sure to tell your father I said hello."

"I will," I lied, since I definitely wouldn't. The last thing I wanted was my father to get involved in this, and he surely would if he knew how many times I had been questioned, let alone this newest check on my list.

When the last policeman closed the front door behind him, I collapsed onto my couch, my face in my hands. Nothing had been simple since May disappeared. I didn't want to think that she had been taken away by someone, but Jameson had a point. Why would a perfectly happy girl leave everything she had worked so hard for behind her? The only explanation had to be the worst.

But that didn't mean that it had to be the truth. Even happy people were unhappy sometimes, and if she had left on the spur of the moment, then maybe it all made sense. Maybe she just needed to get away for a minute, pull herself away from the spotlight just for a little while. Except a little while seemed a lot shorter than a month.

Still, if there was one place in the world she would go, where would it be? She had friends—hadn't they told the police where her favorite places were? She may have considered me here friend, too, but that didn't mean I knew her as well as her childhood friends. It wasn't as though we had ever shared secrets.

Except I knew about one: her secret base. I saw her sneaking out of it a couple of years ago as I passed Fortree. It was hidden between the brambles and bushes, lost beneath a lone tree. Knowing that she wouldn't have been happy with me knowing it was there, I acted ignorant, waiting for her to pass on the bridge so as not to raise suspicion.

My dad taught me how to make secret bases when I was a little boy, and I knew they could get pretty technical. If she could get her hands on a stock of batteries and nonperishable foods, she would be able to survive in there for a long time.

I walked over to my window, brushing the curtains to the side. His teams had all packed into their cruisers and were starting off down the road and back into the depths of Mossdeep. I was better off not telling the chief about this. If he went there and discovered her, it would only look suspicious for me.

Why hadn't I thought of this sooner? That should have been the first place I looked.

Dropping the curtain, I turned around and headed through my kitchen to my back door. Jameson told me not to leave the region, but I didn't see anything wrong with doing a little wandering around. Still, it was better that they not see me leaving my house, even if it was more typical for me to be out of it than in it.

"Skarmory, we're going to Fortree!"

My metallic bird cawed as it erupted from its home, spreading its wings high over its head. I barely caught onto the beast before it took off, but we had been together a long time—he would never have let me fall. And it was this bond that made me sure that wherever May had gone or how she had gotten there, she was safe. Her bond with her Pokémon was even stronger than the one I had with mine, and that was saying something.

The journey from Mossdeep to Fortree was never one I enjoyed, as it involved too much ocean and too many trees. And it gave me too much time to think about what I might do when—and if—I found May. I tried to push all of the thoughts that immediately came to the forefront to the back of my mind.

Skarmory landed on the edge of town, just before the tall grass surrounding the pond, but it wasn't far enough away from Fortree to avoid notice. I could hear my name being shouted from the town, and I saw the gym leader waving me down from up high. Winona hopped down from one of the tree houses, touching down on the ground so lightly that the impact barely seemed to bother her at all.

"Well, if it isn't Steven Stone? I haven't seen you in a long time," she said, her hands in her pockets as she made her way towards me. "It's good to see you."

"It has been awhile, hasn't it?" I smiled at her, though my impatience almost got the better of me. "I'm impressed by the modifications you and your townspeople have made to the village since the last time I was here. Are those new fortifications behind the gym? They look quite modern for tree houses."

Winona smirked. She had always been the smart one in the group of gym leaders, both in brain and attitude. "You underestimate us. Now… what are you here for? Anything I can help you with?"

I reached into my pocket, pulling out an outdated PokéNav, so old that it hadn't been seen on the market in over a decade. My father gave it to me to see if I could repair it into something usable, and so far the only thing I had been able to do was turn it on. All of the functions had ceased to work, and the battery barely made it through the day.

But Winona didn't know that.

"This is one of my father's latest inventions. There is a spot just ahead that I have always found to be particularly useful for testing them out," I told her. I felt a little bad lying to her, but through the years, I had mastered the skill of telling a good lie—and it was a skill that certainly came in useful. "I don't mean to be rude…"

"Oh, not at all. I didn't mean to hold you up," she said, backing slowly away with a smile. "Tell your father I said hello."

"Sure," I muttered with a wave, shoving the PokéNav back into my pocket and walking towards the path out of town.

When I was out of Winona's line of sight, I jumped off the track and into the grass, slinking through the weeds. I kept low, shuffling my feet against the ground as I moved. The occasional chirp of a Linoone caught me off guard, and I found myself holding my breath. Once I saw the top of the low tree, I exhaled slowly.

I hoped she was there, but the sinking feeling in my gut told me otherwise.

I pushed the weeds blocking the entrance of her secret base aside, stepping into the damp alcove created by nature. The floor was sticky, mud caking onto my Dockers, and the room was dimly lit. A thick, damp stench lingered in the air. No one had been here recently, that much was for sure. The conditions were unlivable.

"May?" I whispered, as if somehow this would bring her to me. But there was very clearly no one in here—there was enough light to make that evident.

Sighing, I sat down in one of the chairs at the dining room table she had left behind, and it sunk a little into the muddy floor. It was worth a shot at the very least. I wasn't any closer to finding her than I was before, nor was I any further away by trying.

It was when I leaned my arm against the table, however, that it seemed that maybe finding her wasn't that far off. Something crinkled under my elbow, and I turned, knocking a white sheet of paper to the floor. It was folded terribly, the corners mismatched as if left in a hurry. And when I bent down and opened it, it was clear that it had been left in anything but a hurry judging by the length.

May left behind a letter?

I shot up from the chair, running awkwardly through the mud to the outside of the base. As soon as the sun hit the page, I stared at the words on the page. May's handwriting. This was absolutely May's handwriting.

I skimmed the page, words hitting me in the face like fatal blows, and I sunk to my knees. _I became like Icarus, letting myself get too close to the sun because I thought I could. Eventually, after flying across the sun for too long, my wings melted, and I fell back down_, she wrote. _I left home and lost myself among the crowd, and I became someone I've never been. I'm not tough. I'm not brave._

The words… none of them even made sense to me anymore. What were these letters she left behind? Why did she leave them? Did this… did this really mean that she was gone, or would these letters lead me to her? And if they did lead me to her, would I find that she was…

_And if you choose not to play my game, know that giving this letter over to the police will do nothing. It's too late for that._

No… what kind of game was she playing?

I pulled out my PokéNav, pressing buttons frantically and shoving it against my face. My hands were shaking, my forehead quickly layering with sweat, and I rubbed my brow in a panic. This note… did it mean that May was dead? Did she leave this behind as a final goodbye, a disappearing act meant for someone to just run across by accident?

"Stone?"

"Jameson! Listen—"

_Clue #1: The beginning of life is said to be the easiest because you cannot remember it. In the far reaches of this place, deep within the shadows, I left a letter where disaster ceased._

The beginning of life? Where disaster ceased? That sounded a lot like…

Was I about to make a terrible decision after all? Was I falling prey to the words she left behind on this crinkled page, lines scribbled carefully on the page so that anyone might decipher them? I ought to give this page to the police, let them find her. But I was the one who found it to begin with, and if she was alive these letters would bring me to her.

And if she was dead, it was her dying wish for someone to partake in the adventure she never had.

"I just wanted to tell you that my dad said he would be sending over a shipment of his newest navigation series to the station. I forgot to mention it when you were at my house," I said quietly, brushing some of my hair out of my eyes.

"All right. Let him know how grateful I am for his support! And don't forget to stay on your toes, Stone. I can't emphasize that enough!" Jameson shouted back into the mouthpiece, and I clicked the PokéNav off without a goodbye. I had heard enough from the police chief for a lifetime. And I wasn't going to tell my dad anything.

With a sigh, I pulled a tiny Poké Ball from my pocket. "Skarmory," I whispered, clicking the center button of the red and white ball, "we're heading Sootopolis. There's something I have to find in the Cave of Origin."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Let me tell you, writing in an adult male's perspective is pretty difficult. Because I am a girl. And a fairly girly girl. So, if this ever sounds too girly to be Steven Stone, please let me know so I can work on it.

Anyway, I'm super excited about this story. Hopefully that excitement doesn't slow down, haha, because the more excited I am for it, the faster I write chapters! I'll try to have another one completed before the end of the week.


	3. Where Disaster Ceased

**Chapter Two – Where Disaster Ceased**

There was a fine line between breaking the law and doing something you weren't supposed to do, and I was fairly certain that I was currently crossing it. The seas seemed rougher than usual as I headed towards Sootopolis, a sure sign that I had angered someone somewhere. In the end, I was sure that this was going to bite me in the ass.

Still, that wasn't enough to stop me from turning around and bringing the letter back to Jameson. I kept the note crushed in my hand as I held onto my steel bird, glancing down at it every couple of miles to make sure that I hadn't let go. Admittedly, holding onto it made me feel closer to May, like I might find her soon.

Yet knowing what I did now after reading the words she left behind was a heavy burden. If she really had been so unhappy all along, then why hadn't she ever told anyone? When had she perfected those smiles and waves and kisses? Had she really spent so much time pretending that she became someone she wasn't?

I never thought for a moment that she was upset with the way her life panned out, and that, I realized, was my first mistake. If I had just known… if I had taken a second longer to think about the things she said and the movements she made, I might have noticed that it was all contrived. And here I thought I knew her—in actuality, I never knew her at all.

What else had she hid from the rest of the world?

When I landed in Sootopolis, the Cave of Origin was not the first place I went. Instead, I diverted from May's path, moonlight guiding me across the water and towards an old friend's house. Now that the sun had set and the wind had begun to stir in this giant wind tunnel, Sootopolis had gotten cold. I did not let this deter me, however, and kept walking until I made it to where I needed to be.

I knocked on the wooden door of the white stone house, a building just slightly larger than some of the others. For a moment, there was no sound of movement within the house, but the door shot open before I could even turn to leave. A man with hair the color of the sea stood in the doorframe, laughing when he saw me.

"Steven! Good to see you!" he reached his hand out towards me, and I didn't hesitate to shake it. Wallace was one of my best friends, after all, and it was nice to see him even in this situation. "How are you holding up, my friend? Things have been quite different since May disappeared. People are starting to speculate horrible things."

I didn't doubt it. May's presence in Sootopolis had always been a positive one; people always asked me about her whenever I came by to visit Wallace. I could only imagine the commotion she stirred up when she was actually here. Not only was she the heroine of Hoenn, but she was a national treasure in the eyes of the Sootopolis people.

"I'm actually here to ask you about her," I said quietly, and Wallace's eyes narrowed.

Without another word, he held the door open wider, inviting me into his home. He had always had, in my opinion, tacky décor in his home, but he was much more in tune with the material world than I was. He used to joke that he didn't know how we could be friends when my home was practically empty while his was filled to the brim with expensive statuettes and furniture.

I took a seat on one of his bright blue living chairs, and he sat down on the opposite one across the coffee table. Things had always been so easy between the two of us—words were not few when I was with Wallace, who preferred talking to listening. Yet now, in the silence of this room, suddenly I was uncomfortable.

"Did May come here right before her disappearance? Did she ask to go into the Cave of Origin?" I demanded, the tone harsher than I meant.

Wallace, clearly taken aback, raised his eyebrows. "Well…" he hesitated, lowering his voice as though someone else might be listening. "The last time she was here was nearly a year ago, but she did get permission to go into the Cave of Origin then. Why? Do you know something about her whereabouts?"

A _year_ ago? May had been planning this for that long? This whole game of hers—how big was it?

"No." I reached into my pocket, pulling out the folded note and holding it out towards my friend. "This stays between us, Wallace. You need to give me your word—your honest word—that this will not leave the room. If anyone were to find out about any of this, then I would be very much in trouble."

"Steven, what did you—?"

"Your _word_, Wallace."

He swallowed, though he was never one to be intimidated by others. Still, there was something like fear in his eyes, and when he nodded, his eyes were wide. "Yes. Yes, I give you my word, Steven. Now tell me what this is."

I waved the note at him, and he grabbed it from me, unfolding the paper and scanning the page. Surprise lit every feature of his face, and by the time he had reached the end, he was holding his hand over his mouth. He dropped the letter into his lap, his eyes unable to meet mine and his words refusing to come.

"Do you think she's… dead?" he asked finally, and I swallowed.

"I'm hoping that she's waiting for me at the end alive and well, but the only way that I'm going to find that out is if I play by her rules. I know I should hand this over to the police, but—"

"Of course you don't hand it over to the police. May clearly planned this for a very specific reason. I think she wants to be found—but not by the police… by whoever found this letter. And you were the one to find it. She wants _you_ to come find her." Wallace stood up, holding the letter out towards me. "You have to go to the Cave of Origin. That's where the clue leads, yes?"

I nodded, taking the letter and folding it back into quarters. Even if Wallace thought that keeping this from the police was a good idea, I still wasn't entirely convinced. But it was too late now. I was already here, already that much closer to finding her. I was already committed to playing her game by her rules.

"It's nearly midnight… too late to go there now. Why don't you rest up and go in the morning? I'm sure it's been a long day," Wallace suggested, gesturing to the couch. Many a night I had crashed here before I became the champion. "I can't make any promises about this, though, Steven. You do know that you could find her dead, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I know," I said quietly, and Wallace frowned.

Without another word, he retreated to the upstairs, tossing down blankets and pillows for me. Even on the pullout, I wasn't comfortable enough to sleep. Too many things had happened today, too many things that would only haunt me in my nightmares. And the image of May lying dead on the ground kept creeping into my head.

Morning couldn't come soon enough. I was up even before Wallace, who was typically an early riser, and I had already folded the sheets and grabbed a cereal bar from his cupboard before he even made it downstairs. The two of us took quick showers, an anomaly for Wallace, and we were out the door before seven. Never had I seen him look so down.

"You don't have a Pokémon that can light up the cave," Wallace noted on our walk to the cave. He held out the flashlight he had brought along, and I took it without hesitance. "This is your journey, not mine. Whatever you find in there is none of my business at this point. Once you enter that cave, my job here is done."

I managed a slight smile for my teal-haired friend. "Thank you, Wallace."

He patted my shoulder, and we walked the rest of the way in silence. When we reached the gatekeeper, I kept my distance as he spoke to the elder, running my fingers over the paper in my pocket. Even I had never been in the Cave of Origin—the champion received no special privileges in that regard.

So, as the elder nodded, it almost came as a shock, and I found my feet moving me forward without any message from my brain. Wallace held my gaze as I passed, and he vanished from sight as I disappeared into the cave.

Turning on the flashlight, I let the beam hit every crevasse before moving forward. I had a feeling that May hid the note at the end of the cave, but it was never a mistake to look thoroughly elsewhere. The dark walls didn't allow for much light to travel, but a white piece of paper would stick out like a sore thumb.

I ran a hand over the wall of cave as I walked forward, feeling the jagged earth beneath my fingers. My father and I always had a fascination with collecting rocks, and to collect something from the Cave of Origin would be a rare treat. But I didn't feel anything as I ran my fingers over the walls. The only thing I wanted now was that letter. It was as rare a treat as I could find.

It felt like I had been walking in circles when something finally sparkled against the ray of light from the flashlight. I squinted as a large pool of water came into sight, the dark waters so deep that I couldn't see the floor. Kneeling beside it, I held my flashlight above the water—she wouldn't have put the note in there, would she?

"Come on, May," I muttered, shining the flashlight around again. This was the end of the line. There was nowhere else to go—but this must have been where she battled Kyogre. There were sapphires lined along the wall, sparkling like the water, and the space was massive. The lake would have been large enough to hold the beast.

I stood back up, running my flashlight over every part of the room. Finally, beneath a small rock in the corner, I saw a flash of white. I practically sprinted to the spot, picking the letter up and unfolding it. Her handwriting, familiar to me now after reading her previous note so many times, leapt off the page at me.

_Dear Adventurer,_

_Congratulations! If you found this note, that means that you have elected to participate in the grand adventure I have planned for you (or I suppose that could mean that the police have found this note, so screw you if you brought them here). I have a pretty strong feeling, though, that you decided to come with me and have some fun. Like I said, it wasn't the right decision, but I admire you for it._

_A few years ago, I came to this place called the Cave of Origin and stopped the legendary beast Kyogre from flooding the world. I made the right decision then. I came here because I thought it was the right thing to do. I had been fighting Team Aqua all along simply because they annoyed me, but when it came down to this moment, I finally acted as the hero and played the role I was meant to play._

_If I had the chance to do it all over again, to go back in time right up to this moment, I would have let Kyogre flood this land. Why? Because I'm selfish. When I saved everyone, I gave up every part of myself. I became the hero, but because this happened, I became famous. Everyone knew my name from that moment on. I was no longer May, but I was "May", the girl who saved the world. And when I beat Steven Stone and became the Champion of Hoenn, it only made matters worse. I never should have challenged him. In fact, I regret ever meeting him. None of this would have happened if I hadn't met him._

_I should have let us all drown._

_Now, that sounds mean. Sorry if I'm off-putting, but I have a lot of built up anger that I need to get out, and it's better to do it on paper than to someone's face. If you hate me now, good. You shouldn't idolize an ignorant girl who wants you all dead. And you certainly shouldn't idolize a stupid girl who flew too close to the sun._

_It's funny. As I write all of these letters and bring them to their respective locations, I think about all of the people I will leave behind. I have friends, of course. Sometimes, though, I think it's okay to be selfish. Feel free to disagree with me, but wouldn't you say it's okay to put your own happiness before someone else's if you were suffering? Trust me when I say that I have been._

_Enough about me. If this wasn't a letter, I would ask about you—but to be frank, I don't really care._

_This cave is said to be the place where life begins. It is always heavily guarded, with only a select few people allowed to enter its depths (which makes me wonder how you got inside—you must be quite the important person!). "Disaster ceased" here when I stopped Kyogre. For you to have figured out my clue is just the first step on a journey to figuring out yourself. What is important to you?_

_As I mentioned in my introductory letter, some locations will have tasks that you will need to complete. This is not one of those locations. You will know when you get there. For now, I want to ease you into this journey. It's not easy making a rash decision and just going with it. Sometimes there are dire consequences. But you have earned my respect for choosing this path nonetheless._

_The only simple request I have for you here is to think about the people you know. What would happen to them if you suddenly vanished? More importantly, why would they be upset?_

_Enjoy the city if you've never been here before. There is no time limit for this quest, so I ask that you take your time and cherish it. You never know when your time will be up, and you really should look around at your surroundings sometimes. The gym leader, for example, is the most flamboyant person I have ever met—feel free to buy him some new clothes if you have the money. The world will appreciate that sacrifice almost as much as they appreciated mine._

_As promised, here is your second clue. Good luck to you, and I hope to (metaphorically) see you later. My letters await your arrival!_

_Clue #2: Even a victor should take the time to stop and smell the roses._

_Sincerely yours,_

_May_

I swallowed at the mention of my name, crumpling the paper in my grip. Did she mean to say that _I_ had a part in all of this? That it was partially my fault that she had gone away, perhaps done the worst to herself? _I never should have challenged him. In fact, I regret ever meeting him. None of this would have happened if I hadn't met him._ Did she really regret meeting me? Did she regret our mentorship, our friendship?

The answer to my questions hit me like bricks, and I slid down the wall to the floor. My stomach was queasy, sick with the thoughts of all of the things she said replaying over and over in my head. I couldn't stop the tears from welling in my eyes and eventually spilling over. After several escaped down my cheeks, I held my face in my hands and sobbed.

I didn't want to do this anymore. I wanted to go back… I never meant for this to happen—I never meant to hurt her.

It took me a moment to regain control of myself, wiping my eyes and pushing myself to my feet. I didn't mean to hurt her, but that didn't necessarily mean that it was too late to ask for forgiveness. If she was alive—she had to be alive—then maybe she would forgive me if I went through with this whole game.

This was so messed up. What kind of sick game was this?

I opened the letter again, flattening it against the wall and holding the flashlight up to it. Finishing this was the only way I would be able to earn her forgiveness. After all, if it hadn't been for me, the game never would have started in the first place.

Even if I didn't want to play anymore, and I really didn't, I had no choice.

* * *

**Author's Note:** There is something so beautiful about a man crying. Even though this is still early in the story, I think it's safe to say that Steven is in a somewhat vulnerable position. May sort of just called him out and basically said without saying it that everything Steven thought was true between them was actually false. Not to mention that she could be dead. I think that justifies Steven's breakdown. He's a tough guy—as tough as steel, we'll say. But I also think he would be quite sensitive.

And… Wallace. What a guy. Could anyone really have a fanfic with Steven as the main character without Wallace in it?


	4. Let the Flowers Bloom

**Chapter Three – Let the Flowers Bloom**

I exhaled slowly, staring at the page she left behind through a veil of tears. This second clue was too broad. Hoenn's volcanic soil made flowers grow in abundance—it was unusual to find a location without them, which didn't narrow down the playing field very much. If she wanted me to find a place with flowers, she would have to be more specific than that.

_Even a victor should take the time to stop and smell the roses._

I grabbed my hair in frustration, squeezing my eyes shut as I thought about her hint. Verdanturf was the first place to come to mind. She spent a lot of time there before she became the champion. Her friend Wally had been sent there to get better when he was ill, after all—the place had some significance to her in that sense. It had the freshest air in all of Hoenn, and the flowers there were the most beautiful. It was definitely a place where people would be able to relax and breathe in the fresh aroma of roses and other assortments of flowers.

I grabbed the flashlight that I had dropped, rubbing my eyes to make it look like I had never been crying. Wallace certainly wouldn't let me live it down if he thought I had. The thought that someone I cared about, and who I thought cared about me, actually wished that we never even met, however, made me a little sick.

When I walked out of the cave, I was half in a daze as I shuffled my feet against the floor, my arms dangling lamely by my sides. Wallace waited for me to approach him, but I walked right past him. As I expected, he hurried after me, following me as I led him back to his house. If we were going to talk, and if he was going to poke fun, then it had to be in private.

He didn't say a word the whole way back to his house, and even as we walked through his threshold, he never said anything. He let me pass the crumbled letter to him and fall onto his couch. I didn't want to see his face as he read it, didn't want to look at the pity in his eyes—especially from him, my best friend—so I kept my gaze pointed towards the ceiling.

"Steven," he finally said, and I could see him put the note down on his coffee table out of my peripherals. "I think you're reading too much into this. I don't mean to be cynical, but I believe I'm stating the obvious by saying that there was something very clearly wrong with her when she decided to start this game. She wasn't in a right state of mind. You have to take everything she says in these letters with a grain of salt."

"She said she regrets ever meeting me, Wallace. I don't think that is something that can be said so lightly about one's friends—or, or… _whatever_ we were." I tore my eyes away from the ceiling, and the first thing I saw was the pitying look. "What if I told you that I regretted meeting you, huh? How would feel about that?"

Wallace grimaced, his lips pressed tight together. Then, after a moment, he said, "She wrote that she wished everyone died. That's not normal."

"Maybe not, but I do think that she was completely there when she wrote these letters." I sat up, pulling my feet up onto his couch. "She wrote this over a year ago, and I've seen her within this past year. She was as… as _there_ as she's ever been."

"But," Wallace interjected, holding up a finger deductively, "you've seen her since she wrote this letter. If she really meant what she said, and she actually regretted ever meeting you, don't you think she would have acted a little differently? Even if she didn't act differently, I still think there was something messed up going on inside her head, and she put on a pretty face for all of us, didn't she? We never even knew. I would say she's a right good actor, Steven. She's just been waiting for the right time to let it all fall apart."

I didn't have anything to say to this, mostly because I knew Wallace was right and didn't want him to be. May had put on an excellent façade. I never suspected, nor had anyone else, that anything was wrong. But wouldn't something have shone through? No one could be that perfect an actor all the time, especially when the camera was always shoved in her face. Someone must have captured something.

And that someone should have been me. I should have known. I spent so much time with her in this last year…

"Are you going to keep going?" Wallace asked tentatively, and I nodded. I had to continue this journey—surely my best friend would understand that much. "Well… where do you think this next hint leads? It's not as specific as the last clue… that could be a lot of places: Mauville, Verdanturf, Slateport. Pretty much anywhere except the volcano."

"I'm thinking she meant Verdanturf. She has a good friend who lived there for a few years with his aunt and uncle while he was ill." I pushed myself to my feet, suddenly feeling so emotionally and physically drained. It wasn't even noon yet. "I'm going to head there. I bet she left the note somewhere near his house."

Wallace nodded, and that was that. It was the end of his help to me, the end of everything for now. I was entirely in the game now, just a pawn on May's chess board. And I was the last one standing now, the only player the queen hadn't taken out, and it was all I could do to get to the other side to get a fighting chance.

I planned to leave while the day was still young. Wallace gave me some food for the road ahead, and I felt a little guilty that I didn't have much of anything to give in return that he didn't already have. But the journey ahead looked to be a long one, and I would accept any help freely and eagerly. It was just a reminder, though, that it had never been like May to do that…

"By the way, Steven," Wallace said, grabbing my shoulder as I headed for the door. "When you find her, tell her that I didn't appreciate that crack about my sense of fashion. I would never want you to buy clothes for me."

He grinned, and even I couldn't stop a smile. I patted his arm, and he let me go, giving me a small wave as he shut the door behind me.

The sun felt warm on my skin as I soared through the air on my Skarmory's back. Summers in Hoenn had always been nice; the weather, although often rainy, had always been a perk of living here. Yet now the air tasted bitter, the cool breeze hitting my skin with more spark than usual. Pessimism didn't suit me.

When I landed in Verdanturf, I didn't even know where to start looking. The journey hadn't been horribly long, but the sun would set in less than an hour's time. As I glanced around the town, one of the few at which I had spent little time, I was overwhelmed by the expanse of flowers throughout.

The town, though, really was something. The fragrance in the air was familiar to me—I was fairly certain that May wore perfume that smelled just like this. And the village was so lovely and quaint that I could see why so many people wanted to come here when they felt sick. It almost made me feel bad for not spending more time here.

"Hey! Hey, you!"

I looked over my shoulder as the distant voice called to me, and a lanky boy with hair the color of a fine green Chartreuse hurried towards me, arms flailing over his head. A boy with chartreuse hair, hmm? I recalled seeing several pictures of a boy with hair that color, though he had only been a boy of twelve then.

"You wouldn't be Wally, would you?" I asked when he made it to me, catching his breath with his hands against his knees. He didn't appear nearly as frail as he had in May's pictures, although he was still as skinny as ever. His face, though, had filled in, his cheekbones full instead of protruding, and his skin wasn't so pale. He couldn't be more than eighteen years old, which, now that I remembered, May had confirmed when she told me he was a few years younger than she was.

After a moment, he stood tall again, nodding as quickly as his chest rose and fell. "And you're… you're Steven Stone?" he asked through broken breath. When I held out my hand, he shook it, a wide grin on his face. I wondered how he felt about this whole thing. "Nice to finally meet you. May told me a lot about you."

"Same here. I feel I may already know you," I joked, and Wally laughed. "I was under the impression that you had left Verdanturf. That was what May said, anyway."

The smile flickered for a moment, but Wally managed to keep it. "I left several years ago once I got better and trained for awhile. I've only just returned—a couple of weeks ago, actually." He jabbed a thumb towards a bright house just south of the Rusturf Tunnel. "My aunt and uncle are letting me stay with them again."

"Are you sick again?" I asked, shoving my hands in my pant pockets.

He chuckled, waving me off. "No, no, I'm okay. It's just…" He paused, his eyes shifting back and forth. "I don't know where May went or if she's okay. But if she wants to come back—if she has the option—then I want to be somewhere she could find me. I can't be out there wandering around anymore. I have to be here for her just in case."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, slightly taken aback by this admission. His reasoning was so pure; he was every bit the friend that I had expected, much better a friend to May than I ever was. There was something different about him—compared, at least, to the boy I thought I would meet one day. And I hadn't thought it would be this day, either.

"Well," I began, smiling at May's friend, "I'm sure she would very much appreciate that." I glanced around at the town surrounding us again, hoping to catch just a glimpse of white from the paper. But there were too many colors here, too much going on. "Say, Wally… did your aunt or uncle say anything about May visiting here in the past year?"

Wally shrugged, his liquor-colored hair bouncing on his shoulders slightly. "They didn't say anything, but I didn't ask, either. Why don't you come over to their house and ask for yourself? I'm sure they would be honored to have another Champion at their table." He smiled, his laugh making him sound younger than he was. "Not very many people get to meet one, never mind two."

The sun had begun to set now, so it was clear that I didn't have a choice if I ever wanted to find this third letter. Wally bounded ahead, keeping several feet in front of me as he led me to his aunt and uncle's house. My eyes flashed back and forth as I checked the surrounding area, hoping that something would pop up. But what did I expect? That she would tie the letter to a flower?

She wouldn't have put it somewhere that people would find it easily… she wanted the first letter to be found, not necessarily the subsequent letters. She would have put it somewhere that only someone with the hint would be able to find it. Though if that were the case, why did she make the clue so damn vague?

I felt weird walking into the house of strangers. May had always been more open and friendly than I had ever been as champion, so she had no problem walking up to random people and shaking their hands. I, on the other hand, minded my own business for the most part. I would rather go searching for rocks than go talking to people.

"Oh, Wally… this is…?" A middle-aged woman, who I assumed to be his aunt, dropped the newspaper she was reading and rose from the kitchen table. I almost laughed—May was a household name and face to the average person; if people recognized me, it was usually by my last name and only because of my dad.

"Steven Stone." Wally beamed, as though he was a little kid who had brought home a stray cat.

Wally's uncle, a balding man who was at least a head shorter than both Wally and me, bounced up from his seat at the table now. It was like a flash of light; one moment he was sitting at the table, and the next he was by my side, shaking my hand so hard that I feared one of ours might go flying off. But I kept a smile plastered to my face anyway, grasping his hand with my other one to control the handshake.

"Pleased—so pleased—to meet you!" he exclaimed, and Wally laughed.

His aunt, apparently the more practical of the two, tapped Wally's uncle on the shoulder to get him to stop shaking my hand. "To what do we owe the honor, Mr. Stone?"

"Call me Steven. Mr. Stone is my dad," I corrected her, and she nodded. "I just have a couple of questions to ask you regarding my successor… May. She apparently knew Wally quite well, and I know she used to come here all the time when she was younger. I'm guessing that once Wally left, though, she stopped coming?"

"Are you with the police, Steven? We've already told them everything we know," Wally's aunt said quietly, and I held up my hands.

"No, no, I'm not with the police." When his aunt's face relaxed, I lowered my hands, shoving them into my front pockets. "There's something of May's that I have to find, and if I find it, I think it might be able to help find _her_. So, it would be very helpful if you could just answer a couple of questions, and I'll be on my way."

His aunt nodded, gesturing to the table. The four of us gathered around it, sitting with our hands folded on its top. Wally appeared more serious than I had seen him yet, eyeing me with something that reminded me of suspicion. Perhaps it was a little strange that I hadn't mentioned that little detail to him—that I might be able to find her. But I couldn't go around advertising that fact to anyone.

"She hasn't been back here in a couple of years, and trust me when I say that the whole town would be in a frenzy if she had come back. Her appearance here very rarely goes unnoticed, especially once she became the hero of Hoenn," Wally's aunt explained. "But she only came here a couple of times after she became the champion because Wally wasn't here anymore."

"May was a good kid. She helped Wally get better, you know." Wally blushed as his uncle patted his back, and I smiled lightly. "I don't know why she would have run away—I don't believe that she did. Why would a happy little girl like her leave? Someone had to have abducted her, or maybe she just got lost somewhere…"

I bit my tongue, lowering a hand to my jacket pocket where the letters were folded away. She was hardly a little girl when she left, and she apparently wasn't very happy, either. Still, it was bad news if she hadn't been here in over two years. How could she have come here unnoticed, especially if the town loved her as much as Wally's aunt and uncle said they did?

"If you don't mind us asking, what are you looking for?" Wally asked, and I frowned.

"I'm… afraid I can't answer that. I'll know when I find it." I lowered my gaze, ignoring all of their eyes as they rested on me. The only reason I told Wallace was because he was my best friend, and I knew I could trust him—plus, I needed him to get into the Cave of Origin. Here, though… I didn't know any of these people. Even if May trusted them, I didn't want to risk messing anything up right now.

"Well, if you think that May hid something here," Wally's aunt said quietly, "then I think you're wrong. Word travels fast in a small town like this. Someone would have seen her, and someone would have found whatever it is you're looking for."

I nodded, nausea settling in for the second time today. So, had I gone to the wrong place after all? Where did May expect me to go? I didn't know what she wanted. I didn't know what she was thinking—I never had. I could never ever figure her out, even when she was standing right next to me. How did she expect anyone to figure this out?

I stood up, the chair very nearly toppling over as I did so. "Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

"Go right ahead. It's the second door on the right when you go down that hallway there," Wally's aunt said, pointing to a thin hallway just off the kitchen.

I hurried into their bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind me and leaning against it with my eyes pressed shut. _Even a victor should take the time to stop and smell the roses_, she wrote. But what the hell did that mean? Was I supposed to find a town that specialized in producing roses? Maybe she meant that little flower shop on Route 104…

_Even a victor should take the time to stop and smell the roses._

"Shit!" I exclaimed, pulling the crumbled letter out of my pocket and rereading the clue over again. "_Victor_."

I wasted too much time coming here—I wasn't even close to where I needed to be anymore. In fact, I was on the completely opposite side of the region. May hid her third letter at the place I should have first suspected, especially since she brought up my name in the midst of her second note. It was obvious now: the letter awaited my arrival at Ever Grande City.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, at least he did take the time to stop and smell the roses—he just did so in the wrong place.

As for the question of May's sanity, I think Wallace makes a pretty good case. That's just something to think about for awhile, I think.


	5. Declaring the Victor

**Chapter Four – Declaring the Victor**

_I liked riding the trains in between Johto and Kanto. There was something so peaceful about the journey, about the way the world passed you by through a window. Even the smell of the trains, like the scent of a new car, made the ride that much better. Not to mention that there was something so rustic about Kanto, and it was nice to get away from my world for a little while and explore someone else's._

_But I liked the people the best out of everything about the trains. When I hopped on board, no one really cared who I was or who I was related to. Even if they had known who I was, which I didn't doubt, no one in Johto or Kanto cared enough to ask. Everyone was very independent, minding their own business and paying no mind to anyone else if they could help it._

_After all, I hadn't come to Kanto to make friends. Maybe that was an anti-social way to look at this trip, but I had gone out of my way to ensure that I would be left alone to do my business. Still, by the end of my trip, I had been getting calls galore from everyone back in Hoenn, and I couldn't avoid my job there anymore. My dad certainly couldn't cover for me forever. So, I was back on the train to Goldenrod, a ticket for the boat in Olivine it my blazer pocket._

"_I loved your letter, Steven."_

_For a moment, I thought it was my imagination, a soft whisper in a daydream as I began to nod off in my seat. But I blinked my eyes open just in case, the voice strangely familiar for a dream. And when I saw that May had sat down in the seat across from me, a smirk on her lips, I rubbed my eyes. Surely this had to be a dream—it didn't make sense for May of all people to be on the train from Kanto to Johto._

"_May?"_

"_Letters are so underappreciated," she said, as if we had seen each other recently and were simply continuing a conversation. In actuality, I hadn't seen her in months. "No one ever uses them anymore. But you… instead of calling and leaving me a voicemail or, I don't know, telling me in person that you were going away, you left one. It's pretty impressive. You even got the heading right—date in the upper right, simple but informal greeting. And you have a lovely signature."_

_I sat up straighter in the chair, leaning closer to her and lowering my voice. "How did you—"_

"_Let's see…" She reached into her bag, pulling out a worn envelope and yanking a piece of paper from it. "'To May… I've decided to do a little soul-searching and train on the road. I don't plan to return home for some time. I have a favor to ask of you. I want you to take the Poké Ball on the desk. Inside it is a Beldum, my favorite Pokémon. I'm counting on you. May our paths cross again someday. Steven Stone'." She looked back up at me and narrowed her eyes. "Impressive that you did the header and everything for such a short letter."_

_Shaking my head, I reached out a hand towards her to take the letter. "I don't—"_

"_Some time? Someday? That's really all I get, Steven?" she demanded, her voice rising angrily as she pulled the letter away from me. People around the train started to stare, and my stomach whirled nervously. "And you have the audacity to leave a Pokémon for me to take care of while you were gone?" She laughed bitterly, and I could've sworn a chill ran up my spine. "A letter, Steven. A letter."_

_We stared at each other for a few seconds in silence, rage burning in her gaze. This certainly hadn't been the reunion I anticipated having with her. It had gone a lot more smoothly in my head. Maybe it was naïve of me to assume that she would have been okay with this, though. A good mentor probably wouldn't have set that example for his mentee._

"_How did you find me, May?"_

"_You left me a clue," she said, crossing her arms so huffily that she resembled a kid having a tantrum more than an eighteen-year-old girl. "You said that you left to go soul-searching. I happened to read that someone at Silph in Saffron City found a piece of Soul Dew. Naturally you would want your hands all over it, wouldn't you? Soul-searching, huh? Guess I hit the nail on the head."_

_To be honest, that had been a completely unintentional coincidence, but I didn't think I had the right to correct her now. Still, I was impressed that she knew me well enough to even think up something like that, and she definitely hit the nail on the head—I was sitting here, wasn't I? She had somehow read into my letter in a way I never intended and was able to track me down here._

"_I'm sorry that I didn't tell you I was leaving, May. I just didn't want to make a big spectacle of it."_

"_Yeah, yeah," she muttered, looking out the window at the trees passing us by. But then just as quickly she looked back at me and smiled. "You'll just have to make it up to me when we get home."_

I shot awake, the horror of my dream startling me back into reality. Sweat glistened on the back of my hand as I wiped my forehead, my whole body shaking. That was all too familiar to be a dream. No, that was a memory—a memory of something that I had done to May a couple of years ago. That was…

I had forgotten all about that… May had found me when I left Hoenn, and she… she criticized the fact that I had left her a letter, mentioned the clue I had unintentionally left for her. All of that… was that the very reason that she decided to do this? Was _I_ the reason that she even made this game in the first place?

Oh, no. No, no, no. It couldn't have been _my_ doing. That had just been… I did that on the spur of the moment, decided I had been in Hoenn too long, wanted to go find something else. When information on the Soul Dew came out, I had to leave. It wasn't something I planned out, not a game I wanted May to play.

I grabbed my hair, curling my hands into fists against my head. This really was my fault, wasn't it? If only I had seen the signs, if only I had asked her if she was all right. And I had been the one to plant the seeds in her head, all because of my stupid "soul-searching" journey. But I hadn't meant for this to happen. I didn't foresee this—couldn't foresee it. These consequences were more than what anyone could expect.

I threw my legs over the side of the bed Wally's family had been kind enough to lend me. The sun had not yet risen, but I couldn't stay here anymore. The longer I stayed, the longer May remained missing. It was now not only my hope to find her, but it was my responsibility. I had done this to her—no wonder she regretted meeting me.

That had been the only time May had ever left Hoenn since moving there from Johto, and it hadn't been too long ago. What if she started planning her game from the moment she got my letter—what if she put some in Johto and Kanto, too? But that was impossible. As soon as she found me on that train, we went home. Wouldn't I have known if she planted anymore letters anywhere else?

Those frantic thoughts and suspicions ran through my mind as I pulled on my day clothes, trying to stay as quiet as possible as I snuck into the bathroom and cleaned myself up. Though I appreciated Wally's hospitality, I couldn't wait until everyone woke up to leave. I was sure that they would understand.

But as I walked towards the front door, a light flicked on, and a tired Wally stood in between the hallway and the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes, and I frowned at the exhausted boy. I didn't want anyone to see me leave, least of all Wally. Because now I knew what was coming, and I wasn't sure I had a response for him.

"Where are you going, Steven?" he murmured, his voice slurred.

"I'm sorry, Wally. Thank your family for me." I reached for the doorknob, twisting it open, but I paused and looked back at the boy. "May is waiting out there somewhere. I'm going to find her, Wally, don't you worry."

"It's three o'clock in the morning," he said, his eyes suddenly widening with energy. He stepped forward into the light of the room, crossing it towards me. All of the exhaustion that once lit his features had faded away, concern now replacing every line on his face. Despite his assertion of the time, I had a feeling that didn't matter to him, either.

"I realize that, but—"

"You have to bring me with you. You don't understand, I've got to help you find her," Wally begged, his eyes welling with tears. I grimaced, folding my arms and looking away for a moment. If he was going to cry over her, too, then I couldn't look. "Please, Steven. I need to go with you. I need to find her."

"I can't do that, Wally. This is something that I have to do by myself, and you have to understand that this is how May meant this to go." Guilt immediately filled me, but it was much less painful ripping the bandage off than peeling slowly. "Besides, you told me you returned here so she could find you. You have to wait here for her."

Wally's lip quivered when I looked back at him, but he curled it into his mouth and bit down. For a moment, I thought he might argue with me again, but he nodded. "Okay," he agreed, although he didn't appear one bit pleased with this. "You have to promise me, though. You need to promise me that you will do everything you can to find her."

I nodded, stepping through the open door to the outside now. "Yeah. Yes, I promise. I'll bring her to you when this is all over," I assured him and shut the door behind me. The boy was better off not getting involved in this—his innocence was too precious to corrupt with May's game.

I hadn't seen the sun rise in a long time. As I flew towards Ever Grande on my Skarmory's back—the poor thing was probably more tired than I was flying me around all the time—the moon sunk towards the ground, and the orange hue of the sun began to peek out from the water below. I wondered if that was what May did now… watch the sun rise and set, just appreciating life for what it was now.

Whatever her life was now.

Admittedly, there was something so relieving and freeing about leaving everything behind. It was one of the first things I noticed when I left that note behind and fled the region. There were no expectations, no worries. It was more than just the daily grind, more than just waking up, going to work, and going home. More than just digging holes in the wall and picking rocks up off the ground.

But then again, there was nothing fulfilling about that life. When I found something or did something fun, there was no one to share it with. I ignored my calls when I could, but sometimes human interaction was the point of living. I couldn't go very long without desiring closeness to someone—anyone.

Maybe that was why I connected with a trainer I met over in Kanto, a young girl named Lyra. I wanted to see what she would do… she reminded me a bit of May, with that same fire in her eyes. So, when she had the chance to meet Latias, I didn't stop her. I didn't get in her way. I let her go. Because that was more important to me than taking what I went there for.

So, what was May doing now? Didn't she want that closeness, too? Didn't she want to meet someone or talk to somebody? Didn't she want to see me again? I thought about her every single day that I was gone—so did she think about me, too, as she watched the sunrise? Did she know that I thought about her now as I watched it?

Ever Grande City appeared in the horizon almost as soon as the sun did, a mound of earth blocking the sky. The island was huge—she could have hidden the note anywhere. But if my suspicions were correct, then I was sure that she would have hid it in the field right after Victory Road. Having passed it before, of course, I didn't have to deal with that anymore. It was the secret of the victors; only those who had made it past Victory Road could fly into the field because only they could find it.

Perhaps May's game was unfair—not just anyone could get into the Cave of Origin, and only a few more than that would be able to make it past Victory Road. So, the random person who came across the note in her secret spot would probably not be able to succeed. What were the chances that I had been the one to stumble upon it?

The letter was easy to find now that I knew where to look. She stuffed it at the edge of the cave, hidden next to the roses that bloomed there. _Even a victor should take the time to stop and smell the roses_, she said. Apparently it couldn't get any more obvious than that.

I ripped open the envelope, and the first thing I noticed was that perfect header: date in the right corner, friendly greeting on the left, and down at the bottom, her "lovely" signature. She really took it straight from the book. It was no coincidence that she had called me out on all of that and then matched it. The only difference was the length.

Letter number three. How long was she going to drag this out?

_Dear Adventurer,_

_Impressive: you have found yet another letter. Even more impressive is the fact that you found it here in Ever Grande City. You see, I have hid letters in locations not easily accessible to the average person, and for you to have found this means that you are not at all average. In one way or another, you are a very special individual. There are two cases here: first, you may just be an important person (you made it into the Cave of Origin, after all), or second, you may be a very powerful trainer (not just anyone can make it through Victory Road). Of course, you may be both. I'm putting money on the latter._

_However impressive this may be, it does not impress me in particular. The fact that you have taken on this challenge also means one of two things—you are either trying to find me or you just want to feel something. I think both lines of reasoning are selfish. How do you even know that I want to be found? You just want to ease whatever pain you've been feeling since I left… or perhaps you want to earn the title of hero. I'm sure there is a hefty reward, too. As for feeling something, I'm not sure I can help you with what you're looking for. You will feel—but it won't be what you've been yearning._

_I have no patience for people who want to play the hero, and I have no patience for people who think they're better than everyone else. Maybe that was why I never officially took the position as Champion of Hoenn—I couldn't deal with all the gym leaders and Elite Four members who all had superiority complexes. Steven Stone was always much better with all of that—probably because he never cared about anything, anyway. Everything always seemed to go right through him, like he didn't have a care in the world. I, on the other hand, absorbed it like a sponge._

_Now, the tasks that I have prepared for you are meant for a person of your skill or importance, and you will soon experience your first one. People with power are the ones who run the show. The average person rarely becomes anyone more than that. So, you have the opportunity to use your power while playing by my rules. Don't let this go to your head too fast because it will only be that much more painful in the end._

_You will receive your next clue after you have completely the following task. There is always a black and a white—you can either do the task and keep going, or you can stop now and remain the person you were when you started this. You can't choose both._

_There is a room at the very end of the Elite Four, past all four members and the Champion, called the Hall of Fame, where all the champions' data are recorded for all time. The room is never used except when a new challenger becomes Champion. Get into this room. Behind the computer, stored safely away where no one would ever look, is a wall panel. Open the panel, take what is inside, and bring it to Rustboro City. Meet with the CEO of Devon Corporation and give him the package. He'll know what to do. Once you do that, he will give you your next clue._

_Be well. Fight on._

_Sincerely,_

_May_

* * *

**Author's Note:** This point in the game reminds me a little bit of the _Amazing Race_. Has anyone ever watched that show? It's awesome. If you haven't, it's a reality show where teams of two are traveling all across the world in hopes to win a million dollars. They get information or clues that lead them somewhere else, and they have to complete tasks usually related to the culture in that city to get their next clue. It's pretty cool.

Anyway, that isn't where I got my inspiration for this, but I figured I would share that little similarity. May's game is a little more depressing, haha, and her tasks are going to be pretty straightforward and less like "mini-games". We shall see! Enjoy!


	6. Mr Stone's Project

**Chapter Five – Mr. Stone's Project**

My _father_ was a part of this?

I couldn't—and I wouldn't—believe that. There was no way that he would have agreed to take part in whatever May planned—he would never risk his entire career and business for something as trivial as this. I knew the man, and I knew that he would tell the police if May had asked him to do something for him.

Or, well, I thought I knew him. He was my father, after all, but in this world, that didn't mean much. He had always been more concerned with his business than with me, perhaps because I had always been good at fending for myself. Ever since my mother died when I was a boy, he had been obsessed with turning his business into an empire. It was the only love, I guessed, that could fill the void she left behind.

Still, he always made room for me in his busy schedule if I wanted to talk, maybe because—as a major business guru—he had an obligation to meet with the Champion of Hoenn. It _had_ been a little more difficult to get appointments with him before that, although we did have our annual trip to Sinnoh to look for gems and rocks. That was really the only time we got to spend together until I turned eighteen, and he decided I was too old for that. It had been nearly six years since our last trip now, and I could barely remember it.

Despite this, however, I managed to stay in pretty good contact with my father. He called when he could, I checked in every now and again, and he would take me to lunch whenever I stopped by his office. So, when it came down to things, he was a good guy and a good enough father. I probably wouldn't have had the drive to become the champion without him, anyway.

But if he was involved in this, then there was no way I could forgive him. He knew what May meant to me—I had only told him about her a thousand times, even though he already knew her, too. So, if he had anything to do with her disappearance, then why hadn't he told me? If he knew anything about where she was, why was he silent?

A growl escaped my lips before I could control myself, and I shoved the letter in my pocket with the others. I would have to meet him later today and find out what he knew—as soon as I found whatever May had hid inside the Hall of Fame. I could be in and out in a little less than a half-hour…

Since May didn't want to take on all of the duties of being Champion, I acted as interim Champion in her place. Once every week, I would go up to the Pokémon League in Ever Grande City and accept challenges from whoever thought themselves tough enough to face me. Many of them expected to see May standing there, but they fought with the same fervor nonetheless. Not a single one of them even came close to holding the power May had when I lost to her.

When May disappeared, however, the Elite Four stopped accepting challengers, saying that they wouldn't be able to fight to their full power until they had closure on May's case. That, I thought, was cowardly. May wasn't even the one accepting challenges. But I had to follow their rules—without an Elite Four, I wouldn't be Champion, so I stopped coming here, too. The building had been empty for a month.

I hadn't been back in the Hall of Fame since I brought May there the many years ago that she defeated me, but if there was no one there to stop me, it would be easy enough to gain access. Technically no one was supposed to enter the room until a new Champion was crowned, but I had some special power there, anyway—namely a passcode.

I pulled out my PokéNav, dialing my father's number and clenching it in my fist as I held it against my ear. I barely waited for his secretary to greet me, a pleasant hello that made me want to scream, before I shouted into the receiver. "I need you to cancel whatever meetings Mr. Stone has planned for today at ten o'clock."

"I'm sorry, sir, but—"

"This is Steven," I said curtly, and I could hear the secretary swallow. I doubt she had ever heard me in such a state of rage before.

"Oh, Steven. I'm sorry; I didn't recognize your voice." She laughed awkwardly, a nervous giggle that only annoyed me even more. "Your father is actually booked full today—you know how Thursdays are for him. If you want to meet with him, you'll have to wait until tomorrow, I'm afraid. He's open tomorrow at noon, if you would like."

Of course he was booked full. He was probably meeting with the CEO of some other major company, for all I knew. Too bad he would have to cancel it. "I can't wait until tomorrow at noon. I have to meet with him today. It's an emergency—and I don't care how important his meeting is. I'm leaving in a half-hour, and I'll be there at ten sharp. Please cancel his meeting."

Being demanding wasn't entirely in my nature. I didn't know how to get what I wanted quite as well as May had, even if it was my father we were dealing with. So, I felt a little bad being this rude to the secretary, but I didn't feel I had a choice. Nice-Steven would have agreed to take the appointment at noon tomorrow—but this couldn't wait.

"I'm sorry, Steven—"

"If he doesn't meet with me at ten o'clock, then the police will show up in my place, and they won't be nearly as friendly as I will be," I snapped, the words running off my tongue so quickly that I was surprised they came from me at all. Maybe this was a bluff, but I wasn't quite against turning my father in for withholding information about May's disappearance if that was what it came down to. "_Please cancel his meeting_."

The secretary whimpered a little, but I could hear her typing away on her keyboard. I started for the door to the challenge rooms, figuring I might as well get a head start on that while she set up my appointment. The building was eerily empty; I hadn't been inside since the Elite Four agreed on the hiatus. It was almost less creepy with the lights off than on.

"You're all set, Steven. You'll meet with your father at ten," she said as I walked into Sydney's room, the first of the Elite Four's rooms.

"Thank you very much. I appreciate it." I clicked the PokéNav off before she could say anything else and shoved it back in my pocket. She was a nice girl—and she was only doing her job. I felt like an ass, but this would be well worth it in the end. I got my appointment, anyway, and that was all I needed.

As I walked through the building, I had to admit, these empty rooms didn't suit the place. Yet I couldn't say, either, that I missed being here. Maybe I was burned out after all my years of being the champion. Battling was always something I enjoyed, but there was something about being here now that wasn't the same anymore. Dryness in the air, something bitter and cold.

And when I walked into the room I had stood in so many times before, where I waited for challengers during the conferences, I felt hollow. As I stepped up onto the raised platform, I turned around in my spot, staring at the door from which I just entered. There used to be excitement bubbling within me as I stood here—now, it was a mix of dread and guilt. Had I been the one to change, or was this May's doing, too?

Sighing, I resumed my mission. The passcode to the Hall of Fame changed with the changing of champions, but since May hadn't taken her position here, I still knew the code. When the door opened for me and the lights flickered on, everything appeared unchanged. When had May had the opportunity to come in here and hide something? I should have known if she did.

Unless she _did_ start this game during my trip to Kanto…

The computer appeared untouched, but as I peered around the back, snaking a hand into the darkness behind the massive machine, I could see the outline of a large metal panel. I tapped on it with my fingers, groaning as I tried to reach it, and it echoed back to me. Sure enough, there was something there. How had May found it?

I slid the metal panel over, my face up against the computer as I tried to search blindly for whatever was inside. And then I felt it—the fabric slipped something else, something harder, and I realized it was some sort of bag. Hooking a finger around it, I pulled it out of the panel and carefully maneuvered it towards me.

It was a tan bag, perhaps a little bigger than a laundry bag, made of fabric, and whatever had been placed inside it was surprisingly heavy. Sitting down on the floor beside the computer, I held the bag between my legs and stared at it—she meant for this to go to my father, but she didn't have any rule against opening it, right? Otherwise, what was the point?

When I opened it, however, I stared at the contents in horror. It certainly hadn't been what I expected. The bag, which wasn't even that big, all things considered, was filled to the brim—with money. A _lot_ of money. Bills worth ten thousand PokéDollar sitting on top of more bills worth ten thousand. This had to be millions of PokéDollars at least…

I flipped the bag, pouring the contents out onto the floor. Bands of bills kept coming out, one after another. There had to be at least five hundred bills in a bundle. I sat for a moment, separating the bundles into groups of ten… one group, two groups… _twenty_ groups.

Leaning my head against the computer, I stared at the ceiling as I did the math in my head. Twenty groups of ten gave two hundred. Two hundred bundles of five hundred bills gave a hundred thousand bills. A hundred thousand bills that were each worth ten thousand PokéDollars gave… one billion.

One billion PokéDollars. One _billion_.

Holy shit.

When had May brought one billion PokéDollars to Ever Grande, and where had she gotten all of this money? Well, the latter was an easier question to answer—after all of her battles and after all of the interviews and events she participated in, it was obvious that she had saved up quite a hefty sum of money. I alone had given her over ten thousand PokéDollars when she beat me the first time. She could have made at least a hundred thousand from a single interview.

That money added up faster than I expected, though.

After packing the bag back up and dragging it outside, I tied it to my Skarmory's leg. "Sorry buddy," I told it, patting its beak. "I know you must be tired, but maybe we'll have time for a short break after this. I'm starting to get worn out, too."

The truth was that I was exhausted even though it had only been a couple of days since I started May's game. Each new piece of information hit me like a ton of bricks, and it was beginning to wear me down. I wasn't entirely sure what she was planning on doing with one billion PokéDollars or why she wanted me to give it to my father, but none of this really made sense.

Just what was this game?

Was it awful of me to want to take a short break from this already? I wasn't sure how long I would be able to take this—at least consecutively. Yes, I wanted to find May, and yes, the sooner that happened, the better. But even May said in her letters to take time to myself. So, perhaps she _was_ waiting somewhere at the end and it was okay to go slowly.

But not yet. I needed to find out what May planned to do with all this money first.

It was impossible to ignore the silence that immediately cast itself over Devon Corps building when I entered it at quarter to ten. Word must have gotten around that I meant business and had threatened to have my own father arrested, since I usually received a fairly warm welcome whenever I came here. Yet as I walked up to the receptionist's desk and gave a little wave, I didn't get the cheery "hello" that I usually got. She smiled weakly, her eyes barely flashing up from her computer to look at me.

"Go right up," she said quietly, and I nodded.

"Thanks."

A lot of people said I looked like my father, but as I saw him sitting there on the other side of his office when I walked up, I couldn't see the resemblance anymore. He deceived me—left out information that should have been important. There was nothing about us even remotely the same anymore…

"Steven, my boy!" he boomed when he looked up from the pile of papers on his desk. "Well, I had been expecting a meeting with the creator of the PokéGear, but when I heard that you demanded it be canceled, I forgot all about it. Of course, it _is_ hard for me to believe that you actually threatened to call the police."

"You know something about where May went, don't you?" I demanded, lifting the bag up onto his desk. I slammed the letters May left on top of it, shoving the mound towards my dad. "Don't deny it. She cites you specifically in the last letter—she asked me to bring this to you. Do you know where she is?"

My dad raised his eyebrows, unfolding the letters and skimming through them. Then, when he got to the last letter, he opened the bag and peered at its contents. A booming laugh erupted from him, and the letters fell onto his pudgy stomach. And that laugh continued for a good minute, until he managed to open his eyes and notice my annoyed expression.

"Well, I never expected to see that much. She doesn't say how much that is, though…"

"It's a billion," I told him curtly, and he laughed again. "How could you do this to me? You know that I've been worried about her—and how could you have not said anything to the police? I honestly don't know how much you've been keeping from me! Do you or do you not know where she is and what she's planning?"

My dad's smile finally faltered, and he folded his hands together. "I do not know where she is, Steven. I can assure you of that. And I'm sorry that I never said anything sooner, but she told me not to tell anyone about this—and it was over a year ago that she asked me to help her. I forgot all about it, to be honest. And I never thought for a second that her disappearance was even remotely related to this."

She asked him not to say anything about this? What exactly was _this_? How much did my father know, and how much had May told him?

"These letters are a riot. She really knows how to scare people off, doesn't she?" he continued, and I raised my eyebrows. What the hell was he talking about? "You know as well as I do that the person who wrote these letters isn't the same person who became Champion of Hoenn. And I think it is safe to say that this is a ruse."

"What?" I practically spat at him, and he reached into the bag and grabbed a bundle of money.

"When she came to me a year ago, she told me that someone would come and give me a large sum of money—of course, I didn't expect it to be my own son!" He laughed again, that booming laugh that I was glad to have not inherited. "Her instructions were simple: take the money and give the person who delivered it a letter."

My dad reached into his desk, pushing his desk chair back as he searched through the many papers waiting in the dark depths there. After a moment, he came back up with an envelope. He held it out to me, but before I could take it, he yanked it back.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not yet—I don't think you've quite forgiven me, nor understood me, yet." He set the letter down on top of the other ones and moved them to the side of the desk. "May asked me to take the money in this bag and anonymously give it to one thousand people. One thousand random people. Which, if you are right in saying that it is one billion, would mean that each person would receive one million PokéDollars. Now, can you say that this sounds like the girl in those letters?"

Oh… _oh_. I had been so wrong…

So, this entire time, the girl in those letters…

"Are you telling me that she asked you to take money from someone and just hand it out to a thousand random people? Hasn't she ever heard of the old saying that if you give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day?" I demanded, hit with ten thousand more bricks just from his words. Was this whole thing—all of those letters… were those letters fake?

"But I think she's giving those people an opportunity. She knows that some people are going to waste that money—but others just need the chance to do something great." My father put the bundle of money back into the bag and smiled at me. "I think it's admirable, what she's doing. You sure do know how to pick them, Steven."

"I didn't—"

"Read the letter, son," he suggested, picking the unopened envelope up off the pile and handing it to me. I held it carefully in my hands, staring down at it and not knowing what I would find within it anymore. "I think she'll explain what exactly she's been planning."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Assuming that the PokéDollar goes off the yen (I believe the Japanese games just use the yen anyway?), one billion PokéDollars is the equivalent of approximately ten million USD. May is giving one thousand people a share of that money, which boils down to approximately ten thousand dollars per person.

So… here we are with this first task. Before this chapter, I could kind of see May as an antagonist in this story. I wasn't able to respond to a review that said May was being unfair, so I'll address it here. Yes, she is being unfair in accordance with the previous letters. But THIS is the point of all of it, and it will make more sense in the next chapter. I think it's just something to think about for now. :)


	7. The Game

**Chapter Six – The Game**

_Dear Adventurer,_

_I would like to apologize. If you received this letter, then it means that you have gone through with everything I have told you and listened to all of the complaints I have made. I imagine that you think me a horrible person who took things far too seriously and made a very big mistake. But rest assured that the girl in my past letters isn't me—it is the girl who wanted to find someone worth making a hero._

_Anyone could have found my first letter in my secret base. A random person could have stumbled upon it, ripped it open, read my words, and given it to the police. You didn't. Test #1. But not just anyone could have gotten into the Cave of Origin—but your importance is not a concern of mine. The fact that you took that step at all was a test for me, as well. Test #2, if you will. The third test, of course, was seeing if you would actually follow through past that, never mind the fact that you went to Ever Grande and all that._

_Test #4, however, was my most difficult and important test. You had to deal with me—or who you may have thought was me. I do share some of my opinions with that girl: I find it insulting that the media made me their toy, for one, and I am bitter about it. There are moments when I regret saving everyone, simply seconds of time that I think to myself, "I hate who I have become." Because I really did give part of myself up when I stopped Kyogre, and I really did have to take on responsibilities that I wasn't ready for when I became Champion. But I also appreciate all of the chances I have had._

_The test was a simple one: if you could ignore, or at least look past, all the complaints that girl spat out, one after another, and focus on just the tasks at hand, then you were worth the truth. I wanted to weed out the people who would find these letters and look only to gain—to become a hero without deserving the title. I don't think just anyone could deal with that girl and the impossible tasks she set forth. Not at the same time, at least. I couldn't risk someone going into this just for shits and giggles. This had to be for everything._

_So, I felt that the point that I asked to go to Ever Grande and get the bag of money was a good breaking point for many people. I was demanding—do what I say or you won't get the next clue. It was enough to stop anyone. But you continued forward. I don't know who you are or if I knew you, but I can certainly say that I would have liked to meet you if I haven't._

_Of course, the truth of the matter is that—by the time you get this letter—I still left, and I know that people are looking for me. Perhaps that is a decision that would appear not well thought through, but let me assure you that it was. I don't want to be the one called the hero anymore. I did my job. I don't want to publicize what I've done, and I never expected that to happen the first time. I did what anyone else would have done but was not able to do._

_Which leads me to an explanation of this task. I was able to take advantage of an opportunity—I was given a Pokémon, and I worked hard with my team to become the best trainer I could be. I strongly believe that giving people opportunities will yield positive results. Had I not been able to stop Team Aqua, someone else would have stepped up to the plate. But the reason I was able to do so was because I was given a Pokémon._

_I wanted to give back all of the money that I had accumulated over the years. The people who choose to waste that gift will still give it to someone else in the end, feeding it back into the system. But I am willing to bet that there are going to be some who will do great things with that money. I don't need it to do what I want to do, so I want someone else to have that opportunity._

_I left behind one billion PokéDollars, which—admittedly—is just part of my savings. So as not to raise suspicions, I have been taking money out of my account for several years, one-hundred thousand PokéDollars at a time. I know bank accounts are often the first things that the police look into when someone disappears, so I started early. As soon as I reached one billion dollars, I put my plan into motion._

_Indeed, Adventurer. This was the first step of my plan, and this was put into motion around the same time that I became Champion. I began writing the letters almost two years ago (from the time I disappeared), and a year later I began planting them all over the country. I have put a lot of planning into this, so I hope you choose to continue forward._

_Really, what I want is for someone else to do what should be done. I may be the one coming up with all the tasks and bringing you all over creation, but you're the one making it happen. You are taking advantage of a wonderful opportunity (if I do say so myself), and I respect you for that._

_You're done with Hoenn now. Take a breath… and perhaps a nap. You deserve a break. No matter how long it takes you to get there, the next letter will be waiting at the same place._

_Clue #3: Go to the place you should probably avoid if you are like me and want to be out of the spotlight, not in it. You might be able to get some autographs!_

_Thank you for sticking with me thus far, and I'm sorry. I'm glad you didn't give up on me._

_Sincerely,_

_May_

I set the letter down on my father's desk when I finished reading it, a glaze over my eyes that I couldn't blink away. Collapsing into one of the chairs in front of his desk, I buried my face in my hands. My eyelids felt heavy, my early morning already catching up with me. Now May was apologizing to me? _Now_?

"For fuck's sake," I muttered into my hands, squeezing my eyes shut even more tightly. But no matter how tightly I kept them, May's handwriting kept flashing against the darkness. The words never stopped running across my mind. "That doesn't even answer the right question. Does she think she can just write this and make everything better?"

After a moment, I lifted my head from my hands, and my dad smiled softly at me. "She's lucky that you're the one who found the first letter, Stevie," he said, and I raised my eyebrows. He hadn't called me that in years. Was this whole thing that bad? Was I so weak now, so pathetic, that he had to resort to calling me the name of a boy?

And lucky? No, May was hardly lucky that I was the one who thought to check her secret base, the one who "stumbled upon" it. Anyone else would make a better hero than I would. I could have tried harder to stop Team Aqua, but I didn't; May took on that role. And no matter what May thought, I wasn't going to become the hero she wanted.

"I think I hate her even more," I said quietly, and though it wasn't directed particularly at my father, I found myself staring at him as I said it. "How dare she assume that just because she sounded so miserable and angry and disgusted—and just because she said she regretted meeting me… how dare she assume that I wouldn't do everything in my power to find her."

My father picked up the letter and skimmed through it, his eyes flickering back and forth across the page. "I don't believe," he began, setting the letter back down, "that she intended those tests to be for you. She doesn't want just anyone collecting these letters—she wants someone with a high moral standard. If she wanted someone like you, then she had to do it."

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms and leaning back against the chair. "But if it wasn't 'someone like me', then she wouldn't even need to bother. I'd bet that most people would've turned that first letter into the police. And… would someone be so selfish as to go through with this if all they wanted was to find her to be the hero?"

"You'd be surprised what people would do. You may give people the benefit of the doubt, but May is practical—she's always been practical." He rubbed his chin, pursing his lips. "Don't take it too personally, Steven. She didn't know who would find this first letter. She was taking precautions just in case."

"Precautions for _what_?" I demanded.

I knew that I ought to feel a little better—the girl who I thought I had been tracking wasn't actually as miserable as I thought she was. And she was _good_. She was trying to do good things, spreading her wealth to people who might be able to make a different. There was even a better chance that she could still be alive.

But I didn't feel any better. I was just tired.

"Steven," my dad said softly, walking around his desk and placing a hand on my shoulder. "I know you love her, but if you want to keep going with this, then I think you're going to have to put your feelings aside. You've only found four letters and… well, son, I think you're beginning to fall apart. You can't let her in if you want to finish this."

"Dad…" I felt my lip quiver slightly, and I took a deep breath. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Even though we didn't talk very much anymore, he was still my dad. So when he leaned down and engulfed me in his arms, patting me on the back, I didn't pull away from him.

"Why don't you stay at home for the weekend, Stevie?" my dad asked, letting me lean away and holding onto my shoulders. "I know you want to find May as fast as possible, but you look exhausted already. I know May would much rather you take a break then keeping pushing yourself forward—she even says you deserve one. So, do yourself a favor and take her advice. I can take tomorrow off work if you want."

My cheeks burned a little, and I brushed my father's hands off my shoulders. He was only suggesting this, of course, because I looked so pathetic. "No, no, Dad, I can't ask you to cancel a whole day just for me. I already made you cancel a big meeting today. I… I'll just stay the night, and I can fend for myself tomorrow. We can just go out to dinner tonight or something."

"I really insist—"

"I'm okay, Dad," I interrupted, but there was something so hard about my voice that gave away that I wasn't. I let my head hang for a second, closing my eyes as I thought about how to correct this. "I'll… I'll feel better when this is all over. I just want to find her, and once I do that things can go back to how they were."

"You're missing the _point_, Steven."

Well, whatever the point was, I was giving up on it for now. The only thing that mattered to me now was that May was still out there somewhere waiting for me. It didn't matter how tired I was or how awful this stupid game of hers was—it didn't matter that she was trying to make me some anonymous hero. She was the end goal.

I rose to my feet, collecting the letters from his desk and turning my back on my father. "I have a key. I'll let myself in," I said quietly, and I started for the door. My dad didn't say anything, and when I got to the door, I paused. "Don't forget about the money. One thousand random people are going to need that."

The walk to my old house was a long one, not because it was that far away, but because all the thoughts running through my mind were like screams. I crushed the letters in my hand as I walked, the papers crinkling together into one big mess. Why did May have to make this so hard? Why not just give me the money and say, "Hey, can you give this to a thousand people for me? Okay, thanks!" I would've done it…

_There is something to be said for adventure_, she wrote in the first letter.

Adventure, my ass.

My dad refused to move into a bigger house when he became the president of Devon. He told me that living in a humble home kept a man humble, and maybe that was the reason I kept such a tiny home in Mossdeep. Most people wouldn't associate _this_ little one-floor, two-bedroom, one-bathroom home with the president of a major company, though.

It was the same house that I grew up in, and when I stuck my key into the doorknob, the door stuck. I kicked it in, taking extra caution to shut it once I made it inside. Even the décor of the house was simple; a couple of shelves of rocks above the sofa—who knew why he kept those _there_—a few paintings on the white walls, but that was about it. The television in the entertainment center had to be almost as old as I was.

My bedroom, too, had remained untouched over the years. The twin-size bed in the corner of the room still had a Pokémon comforter, something I should have abandoned in my teens but never felt like getting rid of. Upon inspection, my dresser still held many of the outfits I wore but didn't want before I moved out. Everything was like a picture frozen in time. Had it really been so long since I had last been here?

No, I had been here one time since I moved out—for only a few minutes. May had wanted to see the house I had grown up in, so I brought her here while I knew my dad was still at work. She marveled at the simplicity of it, giggled when I showed her my Pokémon sheets, and rolled her eyes when I told her that I didn't want my dad to catch us here.

"What are you, fifteen? Besides, your dad is a really nice guy, Steven," she had told me, sitting down on the couch beneath those same shining rocks. "Forgive me if I seem rude… and I really don't mean to pry… but what happened to your mother? I don't think either of you have ever mentioned her. Is she still in the picture, or is she…?"

"Dead," I whispered, and I whispered it again now as I stood in front of my dresser. I ran a hand over the top of it, stopping to pick up an old picture of my whole family. We were at the beach somewhere, a family vacation that I couldn't remember. I couldn't have been more than three then. My dad wasn't nearly so chubby, but my mom was—because she was pregnant. My parents never intended for me to be an only child.

But I was. She died of renal failure a couple of months before she would have given birth. It was unexpected and completely ruined my father, but I couldn't remember her at all. I barely remembered my father being unhappy. When I looked back on my childhood, I just saw my dad and me together, happy as can be. At least for awhile… until I got older. But even then, there was never any other woman in the picture. It was always just the boys.

"Steven."

I jumped, and the picture slipped out of my hand and onto the floor. The glass cracked, but it was an old frame, anyway—just like everything else in the room. I bent down to pick it up, turning and staring at my dad as I stood tall again. He was the only thing different about this place: a little fatter, a little older, but the name was the same.

"That's a nice picture. We can get a new frame for it," my dad said, standing beside me as I put the picture back on my dresser. But he grabbed it back just as quickly as I set it down. "Your mother loved the beach, and she insisted that we both take a month off that summer and go to Slateport. You had the time of your life, you know. I think the only other time I saw you that happy was when you told me that May had become the new champion."

"I said that I didn't want to take any more time from you. Today's your busy day," I muttered, ignoring his story.

"Yes, but if I was willing to take a month off twenty years ago, I think I can take an afternoon off to be with my son who—and I'm only being honest—is all out of sorts." He set the picture back on my dresser. "I know I don't tell you this enough, but I _do_ love you—and it's important to me that you're happy."

I nodded, unable to take my eyes off the broken picture frame and the picture inside. "Okay. Okay, fine, whatever."

"Good boy. Now, let's have lunch in. It's been a long time, but I think I can still make a mean grilled cheese." My dad smiled, and with that, he vanished from my room.

I glanced again at the Pokémon comforter on my bed, trying to fade back into my childhood. But I realized that that time had passed. The innocence of childhood had long since faded away, the broken path ahead just another obstacle along the way forward.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So, hopefully that letter clears things up a little bit. The game from here on out should be a fairly interesting one. Any thoughts on the next place? I didn't even give Steven time to think it over, haha.


	8. Only One First Time

**Chapter Seven – Only One First Time**

I kissed her for the first time less than a year ago. It wasn't the least bit romantic, considering that she slapped me when I did it, and it made me uncomfortable just thinking about it now. I was pretty sure that she erased the whole evening from her memory because it was so awful, and I tried hard to erase it from mine. But I couldn't—it was the first of many firsts.

Falling in love was one of those things that just happened. There was no defining moment, no epiphany that made me realize that I loved her. No, I didn't love her… all I knew was that I was "in love". There was a subtle difference, so small, that made being in love so different than just loving: desire. And I wanted to be with her in every possible way.

If we, as people with rational thought, couldn't control love, then love certainly couldn't be rational. That was so clear to me as I found myself getting closer and closer to her, wanting more and more to be near her, with her. May was famous, beautiful, and kind. I was a collector of stone, a trainer who could never stay put. The only thing we had in common was our champion title, and even that wasn't really mine anymore.

But despite all that, I fell for her, and when I kissed her, there was no thought involved. She stopped at Ever Grande City to say hello one day, just a quick visit to see how everyone was doing. And when she turned around to leave, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to me, closer than she had ever been before.

My cheek stung when she hit me, and I stood dumbfounded for a second or two as she backed away from me with wide eyes. That hadn't gone the way I had anticipated it going, but, then again, I never really anticipated it at all. I thought about kissing her before, but not then and certainly not like that. It was better in my mind.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she had asked me, her cheeks flushed. But it was more than embarrassment and surprise that lit her features then, and I didn't quite realize it at the time. Her wide eyes, her pink cheeks… it was fear. And now that I had these letters, I was certain that it was fear.

I mistook that fear for dismissal at the time, thought that she didn't want me back. I knew now, though, that she was afraid because she was leaving soon. And if she let herself get too attached to me, she wouldn't be able to leave. She wouldn't be able to face the world knowing that she left someone important behind. None of this would have happened if she had just kissed me back that day.

Of course, that was only if she wanted to do so, which apparently she did since it happened several months later. Just a month before she vanished, I thought she changed her mind. In reality, though, this should have all been a sign to me. She was scared the first time I kissed her because she didn't want to have any attachments when she left. But months later when I thought she changed her mind, she was really just wrapping up the loose ends.

I had been at my house then, preparing to go back Ever Grande for another conference. When she knocked on the door, I had barely opened it before she threw her arms around my neck and pushed herself against me. I didn't suspect a thing, didn't feel the panic in her movements, so I just kissed her back.

"I'm sorry," she had whispered to me upon stopping, and we sat next to each other on the couch, awkwardly distant from each other but still so close. "I shouldn't have slapped you that day, and I know it seems like I've been avoiding you. I guess… I just needed time to think about it. You have every right to be mad at me."

But of course I wasn't mad at her. The girl I fell in love with somewhere along the road had just kissed me back, never mind the fact that it was months late. What did it matter when it happened or where or why?

Standing where I was now, though, the "why" was probably the most important question I could have asked, and I didn't. I was so elated, so overjoyed with what had just occurred that I couldn't even think about the consequences of this. May had apparently long been planning her game at this point, but I never could have thought about that.

So, was it my fault she was gone because I didn't ask?

Things snowballed from there, perhaps in ways that I regretted now. When I assured her that I wasn't mad at her, she grabbed my hand and led me to my own bedroom. I didn't think about what this would mean or what this would do. I just let her take me away, allowed myself to touch her, and the only consequence I could picture was a happily ever after for the both of us—the two of us together.

It was the best night I had ever experienced up until that point. I slept with her curled up against me, her cold bare legs tangled with mine. The back of her head was pressed up under my chin, tucked away in the little nook that my neck created. Every once in awhile I would wake up in the middle of the night and remember that she was there, and I would kiss the top of her head just to show her that I was still here, too.

But then morning came. When I opened my eyes and noticed that May was no long curled up next to me, but lying straight on the edge of the bed, I thought she just moved away in the night. A moment later, though, she rolled over to face me, her eyes red. To be honest, I didn't think about that much at the time.

"Good morning," I said to her, because I thought that was all I could say.

"You realize that we can't do this, right? That this whole thing was just a one-time deal, and we can never do this again?" she asked me quietly, and I narrowed my eyes at her. There was something dark about her tone, but I let it go. The words she was spitting out were nonsense, after all, even though they made perfect sense to me now.

So, I pushed myself closer to her, our noses pressed together. She didn't pull away like I thought she might have but kissed me again, a desperate kiss that I thought only a kiss at the time. But it was hungry and a little angry, and she pressed her naked body against mine despite saying that it had all been a one-time deal.

But then she stopped, placing her hands on my chest and pushing lightly. It wasn't forceful, wasn't really enough to stop me from kissing her. She turned her head away, and I put my lips on her neck instead, her hands still light on my chest. She had ceased movement all together then, a rigid board against me.

"We can't be together, Steven," she said finally, and it was really the final word. I put some distance between us so I could see her face, and she pressed her lips together in a thin line. She seemed to ponder what to say for a moment too long. "You know how it is. I'm busy, you're busy. It would never work out. And I don't want to spend all my time waiting for you, and I can't ask you to wait for me."

"I'm happy to wait," I had said in response, a stupid line that I should have saved. "I'll wait, May. I'll wait for you."

May smiled then, sitting up and pushing herself to her feet. "Listen to me, Steven. I'm really glad we did this, but that's all there's going to be." She grabbed her clothes from the floor, slipping back into them. I sat up on the bed and squinted through the sunlight from my window, blinded by the light. "I know you will wait for me, but… I don't want _you_ to wait for _me_."

And that was it. That was all there had ever been between the two of us. I didn't see too much of May in that last month compared to how much I had seen of her prior to that. But when she vanished, I didn't suspect a thing. I didn't even think that I had anything to do with it—I was ignorant and selfish.

Of course she didn't want me to wait for her—she was leaving. I was so _stupid_. I let her trick me. Not once, not just that one time that she didn't kiss me back. Not twice when I slept with her and she told me it wouldn't work. But three times with these fucking letters. Her fucking "I don't care about anyone or anything" letters and her new "I needed to do that to find my hero" letter. Three times I let her trick me.

It was at a fancy restaurant that my dad took me to for dinner on the second day of my break that I let out all of my anger. People stared as I yelled about her, swearing as I mentioned her name and cursing the fact that I loved her too much to stop, but my dad just nodded and listened. And when the waiter came over and asked us to leave, my dad didn't even look disappointed. He just stood up and walked away, a hand on my shoulder the whole while.

How did anyone fall in love? The girl I fell in love with wasn't the one who wrote these letters—neither the girl who wrote the first ones or the girl who wrote the last one. I fell in love with the girl who had a fire burning in her eyes, who loved adventure and Pokémon and people. Not this one… not her.

"I just don't think she thought this whole thing through… what if no one ever found her letters? I could be in jail right now because of her," I spat at the end of my rant to my dad, once we made it back to our house, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise for the first time since I got on my tangent. "Oh… the police chief came has been to my house several times, and last time he brought a warrant—told me that I better not leave the region any time soon."

"You're joking!" my dad exclaimed, and I laughed. I wished that I was joking. Because May decided to go on her hero kick, I was _this close_ to getting my ass thrown in jail. And when the time came for that, I would have to show them her letters to save myself. It wasn't what I wanted, but then again, none of this was. It was all what _she_ wanted.

In any case, I was about the let her get the best of me again. "I know you told me that I need to put my feelings aside, Dad, but I can't. The only thing that's keeping me going is the fact that I love her. I'm not in this to be a hero. That was always her job, not mine." I sighed, plopping on the couch. "I've got to keep going."

"Steven…"

"I know where the next letter is, anyway. Have you ever heard of Pokéstar Studios? It's a film studio in Unova—famous for its high-grossing movies." I pulled the last letter from my pocket, reading the clue again: _Go to the place you should probably avoid if you are like me and want to be out of the spotlight, not in it. You might be able to get some autographs!_ Who else would I want to get some autographs from than a celebrity movie star?

Unfortunately, though, it didn't give me much of a hint as to where the next letter would be. That was pretty vague—and last time I had gone to the wrong place, after all. If I went to the wrong place this time, I could end up in the wrong region altogether. May's clues weren't exactly what I would call "clear".

"Didn't you just say Jameson told you not to leave the region?" my dad demanded, the parental authority that I hadn't seen since I was a boy poking through.

"Yeah, and May told me not to share the letters with anyone, but I've shown you and Wallace. What's breaking one more rule? Besides, it's not like I'm actually guilty. I can either sit around and wait for the police to find May or do it myself," I shot back, and Dad pursed his lips. I knew what he was thinking—it was a mistake to go against the orders of the police. And that was true, which was why I already thought something up. "I'm not leaving the region, anyway. You are."

"Steven!"

I sent him a hard look, which he countered just as quickly. His light eyes lost the mysterious twinkle that they usually had. "Come on, Dad. All you need to do is come with me to Slateport, buy the ticket, and make sure that I get on the boat okay. They don't need to know that I'm the one leaving the region."

He wasn't buying it, but I was fairly sure that he would agree. "Most people in Hoenn know who you are, and if they don't, they know who I am. It would never work," he said, and I crossed my arms with a huff—heck, it worked when I was a little boy. "All right, all right. I'll make it work. If you want to go, though, we should leave now. There's a boat that leaves at eight."

"Can you get a car?"

I didn't know that my father knew how to drive. Ever since I was little, we had always just walked everywhere we needed to go, and if we needed to go to another city, we usually just took our Pokémon.

Of course, "knowing" how to drive didn't exactly mean that he was good. In fact, there were moments when I was scared for my life. But driving was the most convenient for two or more people, especially since my dad didn't train Pokémon and the only flying-type I had was Skarmory. And after a couple of hours of sitting in the car and gripping my seatbelt so hard that it dug into my hands, Slateport appeared over the nighttime horizon.

The harbor was relatively empty; only businessmen took the nighttime boat to Unova, and there appeared to be a lull at the moment. But when my dad stepped up to the counter, I held back, watching as men and women in suits and dresses walked into the port. They were all going to Unova on business—well, so was I.

"You're all set, kiddo. Just board the boat like usual. It's all taken care of," my dad assured me, handing me a small boarding pass. "You be careful. I don't know what May has planned for the rest of her game, but keep me updated."

I held my hand out towards him, but he pulled me into a hug instead. Who knew that my dad could be such a good guy? I should have…

No one even looked at my ticket when I boarded the boat. They waved me on, letting me walk right past everyone. Once I was on the boat, I stood on the deck, wondering what path May had taken to get out of Hoenn. Did she really plant all of the notes that one time when she came to get me? If that was the case, it was possible that the next few notes would be in Unova, then Sinnoh, then Johto, and lastly Kanto. Unova was the farthest away, after all. The order made sense if it was meant to go in a circle.

Hell, what was May thinking? Did she know what she had done to me by playing her physical game with me—by letting me be with her and then pulling herself away? Was it really just something she had to do before she left? One last thing she needed to do before she vanished? Would she have been ashamed to have died a virgin?

I gripped the railing of the boat more tightly, gritting my teeth so hard that they were probably starting to weigh down. How could I think that? Whether she deceived me or not, whether she tricked me into thinking she cared, too, I still loved her. I had to hope that she was still alive and that she was waiting for me now.

_I don't want _you_ to wait for _me, she told me. She had to be waiting for me.

I had never been to Unova. When the boat docked in Castelia the following morning, the first things I saw were skyscrapers and buildings taller than any I had ever seen before. I stared in wonder, and when I stepped of the boat, they appeared even taller. Buildings made of glass and steel, reaching up towards the sky. It wasn't at all like any of the other regions.

If I remembered correctly, Pokéstar Studios was north of Virbank City, and the map disk I got for my PokéNav from the ship steward said that was across the sea.

So, I hopped back on another boat, and the city slowly rolled out of my sight. But the whole while, I stared at that skyline, watching the skyscrapers sink into the sea. Well, I could appreciate why May wanted whoever found the letters to travel. That certainly wasn't something I got to see every day. I could get used to that sight.

Pokéstar Studios was close by after disembarking from the second boat. Virbank wasn't quite as nice as Castelia, but—wow—the studio was something else! I had only ever seen pictures of actors and actresses walking down the red carpet for their movie premiers, but it was spectacular. There was a huge theater, an even bigger studio… Unova never ceased to amaze me, and I had only been here for a few hours.

But the thing was, Pokéstar Studios was gigantic. How was I supposed to find a note here?

Well… in the spotlight, of course. So, inside the filming studio?

The studio was even more amazing on the outside. No one was filming at the moment, but I had never seen such impressive film equipment or green screens before. And then, up on the second floor, I could see the lighting fixtures. I doubted I was allowed up there, but no one was here at the moment… hell, I was through following the rules.

The stairs, much to my relief, weren't locked. I pulled the door open and bounded up the stairs two at a time. The second floor balcony, where the light fixtures laid in waiting for me, was dimly lit, the only light coming from the first floor below.

The letter had to be somewhere that no one would ever look, and this studio wasn't exactly abandoned on a regular basis. Where would May put it?

Behind the lighting fixtures was a bookshelf filled with film reels and papers. I hurried over to it, pulling sheets and film reels off of it and letting them fall to the floor. What better place to put something that needed to be hidden than in the place it would obviously be? Hidden between everything like it.

And then an envelope, just like every other envelope she had put her other letters inside. It was taped to a film reel, and I cradled it in my arms as I ripped the envelope open and took its contents. Sure enough, May's handwriting.

I felt that same pang in my heart that I always got when I saw her handwriting, when I knew she had written something on this piece of paper. Nothing had changed even though I was convinced that I was angry with her. Nothing had changed even though I wanted to hate her for everything she had put me through.

I still loved her.

_Dear Adventurer,_

_That clue was a bit tricky—good job!_

_Thank you for continuing forward, especially after my last letter. I know it can seem like this is just something stupid that I decided to do just to be annoying. But I really have a very careful plan. A lot of thought went into this, and I appreciate that you have taken the time to make my plan a reality. I couldn't have ended up with anyone better! So, thanks again._

_These letters are meant to guide you to the next clues and to initiate the task I have in mind. However, they are also meant to be insights into my life, too. You need to know who you're doing this for, right? And so far, it hasn't been entirely me. So, allow me to clarify at least some of the details from my previous lessons._

_I won't deny that I was unhappy at times. More often than not, the smile I wore during interviews and photo shoots was contrived. But that doesn't mean that I regret all of it. Parts, certainly, but not all of it. There were a few moments during my journey that hold especially important meaning in my heart—things that, if I had to do this all over again, I would have gone through all of the rough parts again just to make sure I could do the good things again._

_Maybe that's part of the reason that I pulled myself from this game. I don't want to regret anything else. So, while you go off and do all the things that I want to see done for this country—things that the country needs, at least in my opinion—I won't even be here to witness it._

_Now, attached to this letter you may have noticed a film reel. Your second task in this game is to deliver this reel to Stu Deeoh and insist that he watch it. Seeing as you're someone of great importance, you should be able to do this with relative ease. He might even be able to whip up a screening of it. I have a feeling that someday, though, everyone will see it._

_Your next letter is in the theater. There is a wall behind the screen, of course, and there is a curtain below the screen for decoration. Lift the curtain up, and on the right hand side, there is an envelope waiting for you. I trust you to give the reel to Stu Deeoh and watch it before getting the note. And I know that you won't let me down!_

_Enjoy the show!_

_Sincerely,_

_May_

And maybe she loved me, too. I just hoped that I was one of the good things in her life that she would do everything all over again just to meet me. Because she was always going to be one of the good things in mine.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I've been trying to finish up all of my assignments (it's midterm, after all, so I've been a little crazy with work). Anyway, enjoy! This was an extra long chapter to make up for my extra long break!


	9. Game for Champions

**Chapter Eight – Game for Champions**

I crumbled the letter in my hand, gripping the film reel so tightly that my knuckles turned white. Did that mean that she was dead after all? She said she wouldn't be here to witness anything I had done or was about to do. So, was all of this for nothing? Was she out there somewhere long gone, her body just waiting to be found with no soul attached to it? Or was she just hiding, unable to physically see the things she foresaw?

I turned the film reel over in my hands, examining the outside of it. The tin case was flimsy, not quite as sturdy as the rest, so I didn't dare open it yet. It wasn't for me, anyway, whatever the contents of the reel revealed. The first time I watched this, it would be with some man named Stu Deeoh. And that was assuming that he'd let me watch it.

It was strange to think that so far, all of the letters had involved someone that I knew in one way or another. This time, though, I was about to bring in a complete stranger, someone who I wasn't even sure that May had even met. I couldn't know if anything that May wanted me to do would truly happen anymore, not that I had been entirely sure before. But it was one thing to need something from my dad, and it was a whole other thing to need something from a stranger.

"Well, will you look at the mess you made here?"

I nearly dropped May's film reel at the sound of a young man's voice, but I composed myself quickly and turned around to face the speaker. He was around May's age, just a few years younger than me, and I couldn't help but be reminded of her. All the tough trainers I had ever met always looked the same to me somehow, and I was willing to bet money that this guy was a trainer, too. There was a fire in his eyes, much like the blaze in May's.

"I'm guessing you found whatever it is that you're looking for?" he asked with a smirk, gesturing to the reel in my hands. He was clearly more amused than angry, but I hadn't exactly planned on being caught. "I'll have to let security know that they need to step it up. Although if you were a thief, I would think you would've wanted something better than an old movie. Those ones are trash, anyway—movies from decades ago that were never released because the reviews were so terrible. I forgot we still had them."

I lowered my arms to my sides, May's film tapping against my knee. She certainly had picked a good hiding spot for it, hadn't she?

"I didn't mean to trespass. I was just… looking for something that someone put here for me," I told the man, and the smirk turned into the smile.

"That's specific." The man reached a hand out towards the reel, and I pulled back, stepping on some of the papers that I had pulled from the shelf. His smile flickered into a frown temporarily, his eyes narrowing a little, but he took a step back and lowered his hand. "The interesting thing is that I actually trust you. You've just got that aura about you. Still, I'm going to have to take you to security since you _are_ trying to take something from our property."

Great. Here I was, a respected man from Hoenn, caught stealing from a famous studio in Unova. I didn't know if there was a better first impression I could make on the people here. Really, this was impressive. I could see the headlines flashing through my mind: _Steven Stone, Hoenn Champion, Caught Stealing from Pokéstar Studios!_

But I could definitely turn this around to my advantage.

"Would you be able to take me to Stu Deeoh instead? You see, the reason that I came here was to get this film reel and bring it to him." I smiled at the guy, hoping that politeness would help my cause, and he put his hands on his hips. Even though he didn't look the part of someone in the film industry, he certainly had the attitude. He had running clothes on, like he had just come from the gym, a little shabby but still just as powerful.

That was just speculation, though. But I had a feeling that he was someone important.

He stared at me for a moment, though after that second passed, he nodded. "You really are an interesting guy," he said, like it ought to be a compliment. Then, he turned on his heel with a smile, gesturing for me to follow him. "It's not often that we have thieves making requests. Come on, I'll take you to Stu."

I stepped forward, papers crunching beneath my feet, but the man seemed unconcerned about the mess I made. We walked forward in silence, hopping down the stairs and back outside. I didn't know where exactly we were heading, but I followed anyway. It was peculiar that this man trusted me so much, a virtue to the extreme. If I was a real thief, there was nothing stopping me from running away right now.

The studio complex was huge, and I didn't know where this guy was bringing me. We walked past giant buildings, huge studios marked by letters and nothing more, and I could see a huge theater with a red carpet in front of it at the end of the main walkway. It was no surprise, though, seeing as the films usually brought in over a billion PokéDollars. This place could probably control the whole region if it wanted.

But instead of heading into one of the nice buildings, the guy led me into an older building, one that had probably been here since the initial construction of this place. Even the inside appeared cheap, and the stairs creaked as the man brought me up the stairs to the second floor. It reminded me of what my dad said again: living in a humble home kept a man humble. Despite the flash of the cameras and the glitter of the roads, maybe Stu Deeoh carried on like any other man.

The young man leading me through the studios stopped in front of a door, knocking twice and entering without a response. I was hit with light, so bright that I had to squint my eyes to adjust. And maybe I was wrong—maybe it was this building that was just old for show, and Stu Deeoh hadn't remained humble after all.

The room was even glitzier than Wallace's room, with movie posters behind back-lit glass panels, bright red sofas that matched the carpet leading to the theater, and cardboard cut-outs of famous actors that I had seen in old movies from my childhood. Things as they were now, I never had time to see movies anymore, but I recognized every single poster in this room and every single cardboard cut-out.

"Look what I brought for you, Mr. Deeoh!" the young man announced to an elderly one sitting behind a large white desk. He had puffs of blondish-gray hair around his ears, but the top of his head was bald and shiny. His suit was pressed neatly, a pocket protector flashing from his jacket. "This guy has a gift for you."

"Nate, dahling!" Stu exclaimed, a beaming smile on his lips. I shot a look at the young man, who jumped onto the couch and held his hands behind his head. Nate? That sounded awfully familiar, but I couldn't remember where I heard it. "Who is this charming young fellow that you brought? Please, please, come in and take a seat!"

Nate moved over on the couch, but I didn't make any motion towards it. After a second, Nate turned slightly to look at me, his arm now resting over the back of the couch. I fiddled with the film reel in my hands, and both Nate and Stu's eyes flashed to it. The look of amusement was back on Nate's face in a heartbeat.

"Sorry to bother you, sir, but I have a request to make of you," I finally said, walking up to Stu's desk and setting the reel down on it. He picked it up, running his fingers across the tin casing. "You see… it is imperative that you watch this film. I… I don't know what's on it, but you have to watch it and set up a screening."

Stu looked up from the film reel and laughed, and the booming sound echoed through the room. "You want me to watch and set up a screening for a movie about which you know absolutely nothing? I run a studio, boy, not a home movie theater. Besides, we switched to digital awhile back… we can't play this." He banged his hand against the reel so it made a tinny noise, and I winced. "Obviously I'm in this business for the love of movies, dahling, but I'm also a businessman. I know a bad deal when I see one."

Nate hummed from behind me, and I turned to see that he had sprawled out across the couch. He was smiling still, examining his hands as if they were the most fascinating thing about this place.

"I wouldn't be so quick to shut him down, Deeoh," he said, his eyes not even flickering from his hands. Who was this guy, anyway? "This is Steven Stone, the former Champion of Hoenn. His successor, May, recently disappeared—she's the one who has been all over the news lately. What are the chances that he's looking for her, huh? My guess is that the contents of that movie have something to do with her disappearance."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, and Nate finally looked up from his hands and at me. Had he known this entire time? And why was he placing so much trust in a person who was suspected by everyone else?

"A champion just like you, Nate, dahling?" Stu asked.

Champion Nate of Unova! Right, I knew he was familiar—I heard about him not too long ago. He recently became the champion, maybe a month or so ago, after dealing with a problem with Team Plasma. And apparently he was also quite the film star, too. He starred in a couple of recent film franchises, and even though I had never seen any of them, I had certainly heard some of the details floating around.

"Yep, just like me," Nate responded dryly, staring at me as if expecting me to react more than I had. "Do what you want, but if you ask me, whatever is on that reel is obviously pretty important to him—and if it's important to an important person, then it could be important to everyone else. You catch my drift?"

The line of reasoning didn't follow exactly, but I could tell now that he was just trying to help me out—why, I didn't know. All I knew was that he was going to push this until Stu agreed. Had I lucked out yet again by running into him of all people? It could have been anyone who walked up those stairs, but I got Nate.

"A movie from the missing Champion, huh?" Stu said pensively, his eyes going a bit distant. He focused on the reel again, picking it up and flipping it over in his hands. "Now _that_ could be interesting."

Standing up, he walked around his desk towards me. We were just feet apart, as if he wanted to be close for safety. He opened the case, pulling the actual reel out of it. A piece of paper slipped out with it, falling slowly to the floor, wobbling back and forth in the air until it hit the ground. Stu bent down and picked it up, shoving the case under his arm as he reached for the paper. His eyes scanned the page, back and forth like that piece of paper, and the color slowly drained from his face.

"You're the Adventurer, dahling?" he asked quietly, sticking the letter and the reel back into the case. When I nodded, he laughed dryly, his tone not at all amused. "So, you want the proceeds from this to go fifty-fifty to the Soup Kitchen and Pokémon Palace? That's mighty nice of you, isn't it? You don't even know what's on this film."

I furrowed my eyebrows, looking over at Nate. The brown-haired boy didn't look the least bit surprised, so unlike me, and when he met my gaze, he nodded. But it was as quick as that—I realized exactly what May wanted. So long as this movie even involved the missing Champion, people would flock to see it. And if lots of people came to see it, then the two charities would get quite the chunk of change.

It seemed strange that, after all this time, she wanted to finally blow her cover, though. She had made her disappearance so ambiguous—no one knew if she had gone missing or been kidnapped or simply ran away. Did she really wait until the right moment—wait until _this_ moment to let the world know that she had done this on her own?

What did that note say?

And here she thought she was making a hero out of me. She was the game maker here.

"Well!" Stu boomed when I didn't say anything, waving the reel at me. "I'll watch it now, and if I deem it appropriate for audiences, then I will set up a screening—give me one week to get the advertisements out and prepare for the proceeds to go directly to the charities. All right, Steven, dahling? Come back in a week. We'll plan for seven o'clock sharp."

The thought of everything I still needed to do flashed through my mind. I had to see this movie, too, even if May didn't say so directly. The next note was waiting for me in the theater, but I felt as though I would betray her by getting it before watching the movie. I needed to know what the reel held—what secrets she was about to reveal.

"Three days. I want the screening in three days," I said, knowing full well that I was in no position to barter with Stu Deeoh. If people were going to come to this screening, though, then they were going to come. An extra four days wouldn't help anyone—the advertising could be done in two. And it was May's plan to get everyone to see the movie someday, at least according to her letter, which meant that this wasn't the stopping point.

Stu appeared surprised at my demand, but he smiled and nodded. "All right, dahling, three days. Leave all the preparation to my team. Nate, dahling, why don't you show him around? He is a champion like you, after all!"

And it was done. There was nothing more I could do for now. If I came back in three days and found that he wouldn't do a screening, there was nothing I could do—he watched it, and that was what May asked of me. It was a waiting game, the worst kind. I would much rather play May's games than this one.

I started out of the room, Nate close at my heels. I had every intention of just leaving this place and sitting around nervously for the next three days. Once I had been a man for adventure, the Adventurer that May wanted, but that man was gone. I just wanted to solve the final mystery, to get to the end of this long road, too winding and too cruel.

Nate skipped ahead, walking by my side now. "Three days, huh?" he asked, hands back on his hips. He smiled reassuringly at me, clearly noticing my newly downtrodden demeanor. Three days was still too long. "Hey, come on, you're the old Champion of Hoenn, aren't you? This is perfect! Why don't you come with me to the Pokémon World Tournament? They've been trying to get in touch with the Hoenn Champion and haven't been able to talk to anyone. You can participate in the tournament while you're waiting."

When I didn't say anything, just bounded down the stairs and outside without a word, he laughed. I didn't know much about this kid—he was maybe twenty years old, a youth with boundless energy. He helped saved Unova when the old hero, some girl named Hilda, never showed up. On every news channel, he had been played off as a kind-hearted soul, the hero with a bleeding heart. I couldn't tell if that was true.

"It's not far—if you have a flying-type, the PWT is just across the pond, maybe just half an hour away." Nate pointed dramatically into the distance, as if I could really see anything, but the towering studio buildings blocked it all. "If you have to wait three days, you might as well do something. No point in sulking."

"Do you think he'll play it?" I asked, ignoring his suggestion of going to the tournament entirely.

He smiled even wider, and I couldn't help but wonder if his cheeks hurt with all that stupid grinning. "Even if all the proceeds are going to charity, Stu can still make bank off of this through the additional attention to the studio and endorsements. This film, in one way or another, has a connection to the missing Champion. I think it's safe to say that it'll be shown. Stu isn't stupid. He knows what this means for his business." He paused, and we stopped walking in the middle of the main road through the studio. "You know something about that missing Champion, then?"

I scowled as I crossed my arms, bitterly amused by the suggestion. Sure, I knew something about it, but it wasn't nearly as impressive a feat as he probably thought it was. Whatever story he was piecing together in his mind—something so brilliant, I was sure—was nothing but a farce. It was not nearly so romantic or dramatic or mysterious.

And it really wasn't any of his business, anyway.

When I didn't respond, yet again ignoring the questions that constantly arose, he just shrugged. "Nevertheless," he elbowed me, apparently trying to lighten the mood, "you're going to be here for three days. You might as well do something fun. To be honest, it looks like you could use a good battle, and I'm sure your Pokémon feel the same stress that you do. Think about them if you don't want to think about yourself."

So, I did. Skarmory had been pushed to breaking point since I kept flying back and forth across Hoenn, and the rest of my team had been trapped in their Poké Balls for too long. This really wasn't a time to sit back and relax—no time for games or tournaments. But maybe Nate had a point: maybe I owed my team something.

It was easy to put myself under a veil of ignorance, so focused on a narrow goal, and completely shut out everything else.

"Okay." When Nate's eyes lit up upon hearing my response, I mustered a smile and held out my hand towards him. For whatever reason, he had trusted me, and I owed him something, too. I didn't know if he was naïve or good at reading people, but he helped me get this far. "I should properly introduce myself. My name is Steven Stone."

The young man grasped my hand, shaking it firmly with three quick pumps. "The name's Nate. Nice to meet you."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'm so sorry that it's been a little over a month since I've updated. With the end of the semester coming around, I haven't had a lot of time to write. I got bits and pieces written, and finally today I had time to wrap it all up and start the next chapter. Hopefully the next update will be a little sooner. I just have two final papers to write, and then I'm free!

I'm so happy to introduce Nate to the story. It's very unusual for me to have anything with so few female roles, but it's good for me to try something a bit more challenging.

Enjoy!


	10. Movie Night

**Chapter Nine – Movie Night**

Nate was good. Really good. He could seriously give May a run for her money, and I was no match at all for him. He had raised his team with all the love and care that he could give, and the way he smiled at them was so different. Even though he was, apparently, happy all the time, the looks he gave his team… it was powerful. I hadn't seen anyone have such a strong connection with his or her Pokémon in awhile.

More importantly, though, was how _nice_ it felt to battle again. I hadn't in a long time, and, naturally, all of the competitors in our tourney were incredibly powerful. All of the Champions had pushed me, challenged me to be better than I had been in years. It was, perhaps, luck—and maybe faith in my team—that took me past Lance and Blue and to Nate. The young champion had defeated Cynthia and Alder without much of a fight on his part.

"I knew you could do it," Nate told me when we met on the stage, ready for the final battle of the tournament. "Give it your all!"

My all wasn't good enough for him, though, and I lost pretty quickly to my challenger. Win or loss, strength or weakness, it was the most fun I had had in ages, and it seemed to be the same for my Pokémon. They loved getting out into the open, fighting alongside me, and I felt something renewed within me. Nate was right: I did need a good battle—a good three of them, really, to get me to open up again.

Metagross, by far the strongest member of my team, could barely keep up with his Emboar. A couple of attacks and it was down, and the battle ended almost as soon as it began. But when Nate cheered, sharing a high-five with his Pokémon, I smiled for the first time in a long time. May used to do the exact same thing.

"Wow!"

I closed my eyes as Nate and I collapsed on a bench just outside the stadium, the warm touch of the sun gently hitting my skin. Whatever it was that I was feeling right now, I hadn't felt it for awhile—perhaps even before May vanished. It was nice to just sit back and relax for an hour or two, even if I did feel a little guilty about it.

"You're pretty good, you know, Steven," Nate said, and I lifted one eyelid open to look at him. I had sprawled out a little, my arms hanging over the back of the bench, but Nate was sitting straight up like an excited puppy. If he stuck his tongue out and began to pant, it wouldn't have shocked me the least bit.

I closed my eyes again, tilting my head up towards the sun. "Nah, you flattened me."

"No, really, you were good. I can only imagine what you would be like at your best, though." I could feel Nate shuffle beside me, the back of the bench bouncing slightly as he leaned back against it. "It's been a long time since you've fought like that, huh? When was the last time that you had a decent battle?"

I whistled, trying to think of the last time I fought that hard. Well… it had to be May. "Not for a long time. Not since May."

"Steven…"

"She left me these letters," I began, but I had no idea why I was telling him this. I felt so at peace now that maybe the words just slipped out. "They have hints to the locations of the next letters, and sometimes she makes me do these strange tasks. But I've been traveling all over trying to find them and… and her."

"Look, Steven, you're going to find her." When I opened my eyes, Nate had pushed himself up a little taller, turning slightly to face me. "Try not to stress out too much. Just go with the flow—she'll turn up when you least expect it. Until then, you just have to sort of… run with it, I guess. Be happy, you know? She wouldn't want you to be miserable."

A crowd of people walked past us, their loud chattering temporarily distracting us. One of the people, an older man with the strangest get-up I had ever seen, tipped his hat at Nate, and the boy sitting beside me raised a hand in greeting. And then we were met with silence, a peaceful friend between us.

He was a good kid, this Nate fellow. I didn't know very much about him; even though I liked to travel, I kept mostly to myself. I didn't really know any of the other champions. I had heard of them, of course, but I never really did any research on them—as opposed to Nate who obviously recognized me with absolute certainty just by seeing my face. I barely knew who he was even with a name.

But he was nice and treated people with kindness even if they didn't deserve it. And although he did have the tiniest bit of an attitude, perhaps from his overwhelming confidence in himself, it suited him. I had a feeling that he would be willing to stick his neck out on the line for someone. He challenged Stu for me, after all, and I was pretty much a stranger.

"Want to have another go at it tomorrow? The tournament goes on as long as there are champions to participate," Nate finally said to break the silence, and I sat up straighter, pulling my arms back into myself.

I nodded, and he grinned. "Sure. I'll knock you off your feet next time."

* * *

I arrived back at Pokéstar Studios with a smile on my face. After participating in the Tournament of Champions three times, I never once beat Nate, but every time I challenged him, I got that much closer and that much stronger. Maybe I would never beat him, but I didn't really care—I felt so refreshed and ready to go that it didn't matter how badly anything went.

Never had I thought for a second, though, that I could feel this good again. Not until I found May, anyway.

"Look!" Nate pointed across the main road at the theater, where a large group of people were gathering outside the building. He laughed, holding his hand out in the air towards me. When I high-fived him, laughing from the ridiculousness of such an action, he grinned. "Guess you got your wish after all. Stu's definitely playing the film tonight."

We ran toward the theater, pushing through the crowd to the front. There were hundreds of people here. I didn't know what Stu had said in his advertisements, but people wanted to see May's movie, whether they knew it was the missing Champion's or not. Was May really about to give up her secrets to all of these people?

At the front of the crowd, Stu, standing on a podium in front of the theater, was having the time of his life. His smile was not the least bit contrived; as people from the crowd shouted excitedly at him he laughed and shouted back. I couldn't tell if anyone really knew what anyone else was saying—everything was getting lost in the crowd.

"Ah, the man himself!" Stu announced when his gaze landed on me, and Nate pushed me forward. People screamed in awe once they noticed Nate, and he barely made it up on the podium with Stu and me. The crowd shouted Nate's name, and he waved with a smile. For the first time, though, I noticed that Nate's normal smile had vanished—this one wasn't nearly so genuine.

An image of May blowing a kiss at the camera flashed through my mind, and I rubbed my forehead, trying to get it out.

"Your friend's film is quite the shocker," Stu said to me, his lips practically in my ear.

With my arrival, everyone packed into the theater. Stu sat in the front row in between Nate and me, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat every time Stu turned around to talk with someone behind him. A couple of the old women sitting behind Nate kept reaching out to touch the boy's hair, commenting to him about how long it had gotten. He would laugh and smile, but I could tell that he was far more uncomfortable than I was.

I was, in fact, thankful when the lights dimmed, even if I was a little scared about what I was about to see. What kind of "shocker" was this exactly?

Stu must have made bank on the concessions considering the amount of crunching I heard behind me. My stomach had gone a bit too queasy to think about eating now, and I had pushed myself so tall in my seat that the person behind me was whispering in annoyance. Being taller, for whatever reason, made me feel stronger—like I could handle whatever May threw at me tonight.

After the advertisements, on which Stu probably made quite a bit of money as well, we were met immediately with piano music, peaceful but bright. Hazy images of trainers, hugging their Pokémon and chatting with the other trainers they just fought, flashed across the screen. The sun cut through trees, foggy rays of light shining onto the ground.

And then the camera panned up to the sun itself, the title shining through its light: _Across the Sun_.

What was this?

"Oh, yeah, I absolutely love battling. There's… thrill to it, you know?" a girl's voice said, and my heart nearly shattered. May. That was May's voice—she had said that once in one of her more well-known interviews. It was one of the phrases that had been on repeat on the news since she went missing.

And she was barely finished talking when the sun shattered out, replaced completely by darkness and utter silence. When the screen showed again, the images panning were not nearly as bright, and the music had turned solemn. A bearded man sitting on the street, broken and hollow, stared into the camera, and a Growlithe barked somewhere off-screen. When the camera panned again, a Growlithe made of just skin and bones bared its teeth.

Something sank in my stomach, and I could hear a couple of sickened murmurs from the crowd behind me.

"When did you begin battling?" the voice of a middle-aged woman asked, and the image of the Pokémon and the old man faded away.

A version of May, maybe just a year or two younger than the last time I saw her, stared off into the distance, just a little bit beyond the camera, probably at the woman who had asked the question. She was as I remembered her, a bright and happy girl who loved being on screen. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes bright, and there had always been something so natural and raw about her that was absolutely beautiful. For a second, it was like she was back, like she never vanished at all.

Her name flashed across the screen as she began to talk, but I was certain that even in Unova, everyone knew who she was without it. "I began battling when I was very young, back when I was in Johto," she told the off-screen interviewer. She always had an innocent trill about her voice, a soft and soothing tone despite her very powerful demeanor. It was the only thing about her that hadn't seemed to grow up—she still sounded exactly the same as the day we met. "My father was always very into battling and raising Pokémon. I grew up with that, although I trained with his for a long time, too. But it wasn't until I moved to Hoenn that I got my first Pokémon."

"Did you know that one day you would end up saving the world from being drowned and that you would become the Champion?"

She smiled, her teeth flashing as she giggled at the woman off-screen. I curled my hands into fists against my legs, unable to take my eyes away from the girl I had fallen for long ago. But that smile and that laugh—I knew now that it had to be fake. She had already begun to plan her game, after all. It wasn't real.

Then that smile faded as quickly as it had appeared, her eyes going hard. "Yes," she responded, her voice so stoic that it had dropped an octave. "Yes, I did."

The image faded again, and we were met with the image of sickly Pokémon, each one so damaged that it made my stomach queasy. I had never seen anything so horrible before. Some of them had scars all across their bodies, some were bloodied and bruised, and others were clearly starving. I had never seen anything quite like it.

_There are more Pokémon trainers today than ever before. Two in every three people will become trainers compared to the one out of every four just ten years ago. This means that more Pokémon are being raised than ever before, as well._

The words flashed slowly across the screen, and I managed to tear my eyes away from the screen long enough to get a glimpse of the expressions of the people beside me. Stu nodded, his lips pressed firmly together, and on the other side of him, Nate appeared a little shocked. His jaw was slightly slack.

By the time I looked back up at the screen, different words had replaced the previous ones: _But more Pokémon are being abandoned by their trainers. One in every three Pokémon will be released back into the wild, but more often than not, they have suffered the cruel reality of battling._

"How did you create the region's most powerful team? Do you have battle strategies?" the interviewer's voice echoed again, and the screen faded back to May.

The smile was back on the young girl's lips, and I half-expected her to blow a kiss at the camera. "Of course. You can't just go blindly into battle—that's a disaster waiting to happen. One of the things that I did to create my team was bring in all sorts of different types. I had a water-type, but I had a fire-type and grass-type to complement it. I had a psychic-type, but I had a dark-type to complement it. It's a lot of give and take."

"And by give and take, you mean…"

"Not every type is going to work. That's obvious," May said with a soft giggle. "But I tried multiple combinations and gave up on the ones that were not as absolutely strong as I needed them to be. I saw that Team Aqua was a problem, so I needed to have a strong team—any Pokémon that was not cut out for it got the boot. That's all there is to it."

No… what was she doing? She was making herself out to be a power-hungry bitch… that wasn't at all who she was.

It was repetitive—whatever point May was trying to prove with this movie, she was trying to make sure that we got it. Pokémon were being mistreated, now more than ever. But I wasn't sure if that was her main motive—it seemed more probable that she made this movie to make it look like she was the villain in all of this.

But why?

"So, you put whatever Pokémon you didn't need in your PC?"

May rolled her eyes, the second slip in this whole film of someone resembling her letters. "If they lost, I didn't need them, and I had no plans to use them. I released them."

"But often those Pokémon will become dependent on their trainers—if you domesticate a Pokémon, when it recognizes you as its master, many times they won't know how to return to the wild that they were forced to leave behind," the interviewer noted desperately, and there were many murmurs from the people behind me now. "And if you release a Pokémon right after a battle—"

"I needed a team that could win," May interrupted. "You would all be dead if I hadn't made one."

There were audible gasps from the audience, and I gritted my teeth together. She didn't really think that way… I knew better than anyone how much she cared for her Pokémon. And I knew for a fact that she put the Pokémon she didn't use into a PC, where Professor Birch would take care of them for her.

So why was she lying?

But it just got worse and worse. Everything that came out of her mouth was a complete an utter lie, but the audience was buying every word. In every instance that she said something offensive, which occurred more frequently as the movie went on, more people began whispering to each other, and I kept curling my hands into tighter and tighter fists.

When the focus shifted from the mistreatment of Pokémon to the mistreatment of people, her new antagonizing role didn't change. "I've never been in want. Anything that I do want, I get," she told the interviewer. I couldn't listen to this anymore… "The funny thing about it is that I _am_ wealthy, but I get so much for free."

"So, do you donate any of it?"

"It's mine, isn't it?"

It went on and on and on, and each word out of her mouth made me want to stand up and leave. None of it was true… she had never been a fan of material possessions, especially considering how much she traveled. And she certainly did get many things for free, but she was always grateful—and if it was something she didn't need, she _did_ give it away.

But I was starting to realize exactly what she was doing. She wrote in one of her letters that she didn't want to be called the hero anymore. Now, no one would see her as much more than a selfish villain who happened to save the world once. She was giving up everything that she ever earned—and it was true that she earned it. And for what? So that I could take her place?

The screen faded to black at the end, no credits rolling at all. All we needed to know from that movie was that May had done some awful things—even if she really didn't.

Whispering behind me turned into talking and then shouting and anger and rage.

"I can't believe that girl is a champion—"

"She always seemed so nice—"

"—nice but completely egocentric, apparently—"

"I think they just edited it to make her look like that—"

"But she still _said_ it—"

I stayed seated while everyone filed out of the theater. People came up to Stu beside me and shook his hand, and a couple of people took pictures with Nate. But even they left eventually, and I was sitting alone in the theater. I didn't know how long it had been at that point since the movie ended, but it felt like an eternity.

It was no use feeling sick like this. Nate was right: May didn't want me to feel miserable and sorry for myself or her. I knew, anyway, that the whole movie was a lie. That was all I needed to know.

I pushed myself to my feet, remembering that May had already given me the hint for the next letter. The curtain under the screen, a coarse velvet that seemed a lot cheaper than it looked, was lifted slightly on the right side, exactly where she said the letter was. Sure enough, when I lifted it up, there was an envelope taped to the brick wall.

I slipped my finger under the flap, ripping it open much more gently than any of her previous letters. Her handwriting didn't come as much of a shock to me anymore—I knew exactly what to expect now.

_Dear Adventurer,_

_I hope you enjoyed my film. I had a couple of people come together and help me make it since I don't know a darn thing about making a movie! But I think that they did a phenomenal job with the editing, don't you? They really captured the real me. I think audiences around the world are going to be astounded by what they are about to see. It should get good reviews._

_Of course, I wasn't the point of all of that. I asked that all of the proceeds go to the two charities, the Soup Kitchen and the Pokémon Palace, in the name of the "Adventurer". Stu Deeoh should take care of that—so, whoever you are, your donations are sure to be greatly appreciated by both! The Soup Kitchen, as I'm sure you know, helps feed hungry people all over the country. There is at least one in each region, so don't worry! The money will be spread around to help as many people as possible._

_As for the Pokémon Palace, you may not be quite as familiar with it. The purpose of the Pokémon Palace is to provide a home for abandoned and sick Pokémon. It's entirely non-profit, and with the amount of people becoming trainers now without education on how to raise Pokémon, it's filling up quickly. Your generous donation is sure to be greatly appreciated._

_I know this must be hard for you, and I'm sorry. But you're doing well, and I hope you keep up the good work. People are going to appreciate what you're doing, and everyone in this country is sure to be better off now—better off, happier. I don't know exactly. The world is changing. It's moving._

_Please know that I am proud of you for even coming this far. You're my hero._

_Clue #4: The clock keeps ticking along. They say not to break tradition here and build up their walls too tall._

_Keep going!_

_May_

"You got another one?"

I jumped, the letter crinkling in my hand as my grip tightened. Any of the happiness that I had felt in the past three days had dissipated completely, and even Nate's excited tone couldn't get my blood pumping again. To think that just a few hours ago, I had been smiling and laughing with him. Now I was slightly annoyed by his presence.

"It's none of your business." I turned to face him, narrowing my eyes at him, and the wild-haired boy put his hands on his hips. Didn't he know when to stop?

"Let me go with you. She's got me fascinated after that movie," Nate said, a distant look in his eyes as he stared up at the silver screen. When he looked back at me, he smiled, and even though I could tell his intentions were complete innocuous, I couldn't help but feel a tad possessive. This was my journey, and May was the girl with whom I was in love. He might get a bit too close.

"You can't," I said quickly, and Nate raised his eyebrows in surprise, as if he couldn't think of a single reason why I wouldn't let him come with me. "She says directly in her letters that this is meant to be a journey just for me. I was never supposed to share them with anyone to begin with, but I can't tell you how many times I've already broken that one—"

"Exactly!" Nate exclaimed, holding his index finger high in the air. "You've broken half of the rules already, so why not just break the whole thing? Besides, you're unfamiliar with Unova, right? I bet I can guide you to the exact place where the next clue leads. You just have to let me team up with you. What's the worst that could happen?"

I sighed, the image of the May from those interviews flashing through my mind. She had been made into a villain—turned herself into one, anyway. I didn't know why _exactly_, and I could only hypothesize. But it was obvious, at least, that she wanted people to see this movie. And if she wanted people to see it, then that meant that she wasn't hiding completely anymore. Parts of this game had become transparent.

So, was it that bad if I let Nate help me out? He had a point—I didn't know anything about Unova aside from famous sites within the region like Pokéstar Studios. If I wanted to find the next letter, getting some help was my best bet. Not to mention, he was the Champion of Unova. It wasn't like I was about to put my trust in someone random. Obviously he was trustworthy and a good guy in general, considering he had stopped Team Plasma.

He really was a lot like May, wasn't he?

"I don't know what she's planning exactly. I'm sure you know more than me." Nate spoke quietly now, his smile finally faded away and his gaze now pointed towards the ground. His hands curled slowly into fists, his expression determined. "But if there's one thing that I know for sure, Steven, it's that she's got one hell of a game going on. That girl on that screen might have everyone else fooled, but I know for sure that's not her! Whatever it is you're doing for her, I want in. I know all about finding lost Champions."

An audible gasp escaped my lips, one that came out too suddenly to suppress. "What?"

"I helped my friend N find Hilda. She was the Champion of Unova before Iris—and one of the heroes from the legend." Nate smiled again, brushing his thumb across his nose. "If I do say so myself, I have quite the excellent tracking sense."

I raised my eyebrows, staring dumbstruck at the smiling young man before me. It wasn't the fact that he had found Hilda that surprised me—he could tell May was lying. Despite his somewhat goofy demeanor, confident though it was, he really did have a good heart. Only someone like him could become a champion and save Unova from Team Plasma. And if he could see past May's façade when other people couldn't, then maybe he really could help me.

"All right," I agreed, and Nate's eyes widened, light flowing through them. "Welcome to the team."

* * *

**Author's Note:** An adventure sure can get boring with just one person! It's about time that Steven got someone to join his team—or, rather, find someone who forcible joins his team. Let's face it: Nate wasn't going to take no for an answer. Will he stick around just for the Unova strand of May's game or keep going until the end? I guess you'll just have to wait and see.

As for the movie May made, it is kind of/sort of a reference to Nuzlocke challenges, but instead of "dying", a Pokémon is released when it faints in battle. And May's commentary on wealth is kind of/sort of a reference to celebrity status in general.


	11. Like Clockwork

**Chapter Ten – Like Clockwork**

"You know, we need to set some ground rules," Nate announced the following morning from where he currently sat on his sofa. I woke him up earlier than he expected, and apparently he wasn't the least bit a morning person. This amused me greatly considering the fact that he usually looked like he rolled out of bed. Apparently this was his trademark. "First off… it should be at least ten before we get on the road. Secondly, we can't keep this super grouchy attitude up. I'll be miserable."

I rolled my eyes, watching as he downed his second cup of coffee. The light of the television flickered in his tired eyes, half-opened as he placed his mug back on the coffee table. The sun barely peeked in through the closed curtains, just now rising into the sky. I had to admit, this was a little early even for me.

Still, I couldn't believe that _he_ thought that _we_ needed to set some ground rules, and that he would be the one who was miserable, when I had invited _him_ to tag along with _me_. Sure, this was his house—his really nice house with two guest rooms, a bathroom with a hot tub, and a high-definition television larger than my kitchen table—but he was coming with me. He didn't have to volunteer himself for this.

Despite this, I had to admit that he was, at the very least, helpful due to his familiarity with this region. Even though I didn't have the slightest clue where in the world to turn in regards to May's latest hint, Nate was quick with an answer.

"That's obvious," he sighed at me once I finally gave in and let him see the letter. "'The clock keeps ticking along. They say not to break tradition here and build up their walls too tall.' Clearly she's talking about Lacunosa Town. They're obsessed with their traditions and refuse to give any of them up."

Lacunosa Town? I had never even heard of it before. How did May pick that as a spot to hide her letter? What was the significance of this place?

"Why?"

"There's a legend there that says that long ago, a monster arrived on the outskirts of their village and terrorized the people at night. People and Pokémon would vanish all the time, and they were said to have been eaten by the monster. So, the elders of the town decreed that they would build a wall to protect everyone, and no one was allowed to leave their homes at night." Nate laughed darkly, and though it was clear that he didn't believe the legend, he certainly enjoyed it. "Of course, when I asked some of the villagers about it, they told me they didn't believe that legend for a second. They still follow their traditions, though. They're too scared to change."

It did seem, then, that Lacunosa was the town of which May wrote in her clue. There was no way that I, in a million years, would have gotten a clue like that, so I had to be at least a little grateful to Nate. I didn't particularly like it—and it really didn't help my attitude any—but having Nate around could actually turn out to be a good thing.

I just wouldn't ever let him know it.

"To what grouchy attitude are you referring?" I asked as I bit into a piece of toast, the only food that he had in his house—despite all of his luxuries, apparently he didn't place much importance on actually living. According to him, he was fine with just a cup (or two or three or ten) of coffee in the morning, and they made him all of his meals at the studio in the afternoon and night.

"I've seen you smile. I know you can do it," Nate responded, completely ignoring the main point of my question. "Didn't you have fun at the tournament at the PWT? And, what, did you feel guilty about it or something?"

A piece of the crust of my toast dropped to the ground, and though Nate eyed it, neither of us made a motion to pick it up. "Not guilty," I muttered in between bites, more crumbs dropping to his beige-colored carpet.

"Aha, I see." Nate finally stood up from the couch and scooped the crumbs up from the ground, and he dumped them into his empty coffee mug. "You just don't think that you have a right to be happy while May is making a fool of herself in front of audiences everywhere, is that it? If you ask me, that's a load of bullshit."

I raised my eyebrows at his language, but he just picked up his coffee mug and shrugged at me before disappearing into the kitchen. _Helpful_, I reminded myself angrily, disappearing down the hallway to go wash my face off in the bathroom. _Helpful, but he's still a pain in my ass._

But even I admitted that he was far more perceptive than most people probably gave him credit for, even as the Champion and hero of Unova. Even without ever seeing any of his movies, I had a feeling that he always played the same type of role: a brawny hero, far physically stronger than he was wise. Really, though, that seemed very uncharacteristic of him. He was, in actuality, far wiser than he was physically strong.

And I didn't deny that he was right. May was out there making herself look like a villain, when really she was still the hero here. She could say that it was me, that I was the one with the brilliant scheme to donate to charity. But it was all her—she just set it up so it looked like me. And even if I told everyone that she was lying, no one would believe me, anyway.

It wasn't that I didn't want to be happy. I did. Who didn't _want_ to be happy? And I really did have a great time battling at the PWT during the past few days. That was the happiest I had been in a long time. Clearly I was _capable_ of being happy. It was just a different thing altogether to actually stay happy during this trial.

And why should I be happy that May was making herself into a monster?

I had just splashed water on my face—and all over the bathroom floor, not the least bit in a graceful manner like on those commercials that I occasionally saw on television—when Nate shouted, "Uh, Steven… you might want to come look at the news!"

Grabbing one of his hand towels, I patted my face dry as I walked back out to the living room, where Nate had returned to his spot on the couch. He gestured to the screen, and I stood beside where he sat to watch the screen.

The screen was split down the middle, a woman on the right and a man on the left. The woman was in the middle of talking about something with a very somber expression, and the man in the frame beside her kept nodding.

"—very mixed opinions about the film, isn't that right, Mark?" the woman finished, and the man—Mark, apparently—nodded yet again.

"That's right, Diana. Some fans of Hoenn's missing champion are in an outrage over the way that the Champion was portrayed in the film. According to the president of the Pokémon Fan Club in Hoenn, 'It is entirely inappropriate for that film to have been shown. It is disrespectful to our missing Champion, and it portrays her in a way that does not reflect her true character. May has been, and always will be, an advocate for Pokémon and people alike.'"

The words flashed on the screen as Mark spoke, a small picture of May to the side. It was the same picture always shown whenever they talked about May, and I rolled my eyes. So, news about the movie had already gotten out to Hoenn, had it? No doubt Stu was planning on sending it to the rest of the country for everyone to see.

"Others are impressed by the message that the film shows and by the fact that all of the proceeds from the movie go to charity. A message from Mr. Stu Deeoh says that all of the money collected will go to the Soup Kitchens throughout the country and to Pokémon Palace. Steven Stone, May's predecessor, apparently arranged for these donations to happen," Mark continued, and I sat down beside Nate at the sound of my name.

A picture of me with Stu at last night's premier now showed on the screen, a completely candid shot in which I looked completely and utterly confused. That was surprisingly accurate. It must have been taken right after Stu pulled me up onto the podium with him. I could see Nate's mop of hair sticking out from the sea of people in front of us.

But with that one picture—with that one mention of my name—my cover was completely blown.

The video of Mark and Diana returned to the screen, and the woman had abandoned her somber expression for a smile worthy of a news anchor. "Well, one thing is for certain, Mark. I think people are going to be flocking to see this movie once it premiers in the other regions next week. The proceeds go to a great cause, and there is certainly mystery surrounding the accuracy of the footage. A lot of people are going to show up for this movie."

"You're absolutely correct, and that just helps those charities out a lot more. So, I would say, if you have the chance to go, definitely go. It is go—"

The television faded to black, and I jumped in surprise. Nate lowered the remote back onto the coffee table, and in a moment of panic I grabbed his shirt in one hand and curled my other into a fist. His eyes were wide for a moment, but as I realized what I was doing, as clarity set back in, I let him go and put my hands back on my lap.

"Sorry," I said, and though I expected Nate to get up or maybe consider punching me before I could take a swing at him, he just smiled.

"I thought when it came on that it was a good idea to let you know, but I guess it wasn't," he replied cheerfully, and I nodded. "You probably need as few references to May as possible, and I don't really think that was helpful."

The sudden burst of music made us both jump, and we both glanced around desperately for the source. When I pulled my PokéNav from my pocket and saw that it was my phone ringing—and noticed who was calling—I nearly threw it against the wall. But then I remembered that this wasn't actually my house.

"Sir?" I said upon answering the phone, rising from the couch and walking into the kitchen.

"Stone!" Jameson's voice boomed in the speaker, and I held it away from my ear. He certainly didn't waste any time. "What did I specifically tell you, Stone? What did I ask you _not_ to do that you clearly did anyway?"

"Yes, sir, I know, but—"

"You look very suspicious right now, Steven, very suspicious. All of a sudden this video with 'never-before-seen' footage of May turns up in Unova, and right when it shows up, Steven Stone is there, too! And not only that—the movie apparently shows that May is not the philanthropist that everyone though. So, what happens? Steven Stone sends all the proceeds to charities."

"Yes, but—"

"Stone, you need to return to Hoenn right this minute."

I sighed, sitting down at Nate's kitchen table. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Jameson. I realize that it probably looks really bad for me. I admit that I did leave Hoenn against your orders, but there were extenuating circumstances—the details of which I cannot divulge—that forced me to leave. And I was sort of forced into the whole donation thing…"

"I cannot keep taking your word," Jameson warned me, and I held my breath for a moment. I knew it looked suspicious, but what was I supposed to do? Turn around and quit now? Like Nate said, I had already broken half the rules of this game—of this life—so what was stopping me from breaking the rest? It was time to go full force.

So, I lowered the PokéNav from my ear and clicked it off, hanging up on the chief. It was only after it was too late that thoughts of regret passed through my mind. _Shit_, did I really just do that? Jameson had been giving me the benefit of the doubt up until this point, but there was no turning back now.

Unless I found May, there was no way that I prove my innocence at this point. I just had to keep going.

"Congratulations," I told Nate as I walked out of the kitchen and back into his living room. I waved my PokéNav at him, a stupid grin on my face. "You are now about to travel with a fugitive."

"What the hell did you do?" Nate demanded, although it wasn't so desperate to sound afraid. He sounded more amused than anything, as if he sort of expected that I would be some kind of criminal. His faith in me was astounding. "Oh, wait, let me guess. You're probably being targeted as May's kidnapper or something." When I nodded, he laughed, jumping off the couch. "This is like a bad soap opera."

"I wish. Unfortunately, I don't know how long I'll be able to evade the law. The police chief believes me… at least, I think he does. But I have a feeling that other people are starting to piece some of the evidence together that points towards me, and there's only so much that Jameson can ignore." I turned the PokéNav between my fingers, waiting for Jameson to call back. Part of me hoped he would, but I had a feeling our conversation was done.

"Then I guess we better get this show on the road."

Nate managed to get his act together and get moving, and within the hour we were soaring on our Pokémon towards Lacunosa. It was actually nice to not have to talk with him while we flew, but he had been a good distraction from everything else going on. But I kept catching his eye every now and again, and judging by the way he kept looking at me, his eyes a little glazed over, it was obvious that he was worried about everything.

Deep down, I really wanted to hate Nate, seeing as how much he reminded me of May. He was the one who said that I needed as few references to May as possible, but he was a walking and talking reference. Maybe he wasn't as perceptive as I thought if he hadn't realized that yet.

Darkness seemed to be our only problem as we flew. Lacunosa was on the other side of the region, a day-long journey. Even though we left early in the morning, the sun had already begun to set on us as we neared the town. If the stories were true and these villagers really did stick to their traditions, then no one would be happy about us visiting the town at night.

The journey had been too long to push our Pokémon any harder, though, and, in fact, both my Skarmory and Nate's Braviary slowed down as they reached their limits. We dropped in altitude, but just as we sunk through the sky, I could see the massive square outline of the wall, a town hidden in the darkness in between. We had no choice but to go there now, even as the moon completely overtook the sun.

We landed in the middle of the street—at least, I thought we did. Even though it was probably only seven o'clock or so, all of the lights had been extinguished along the road. None of the homes had any lights on, or, if they did, the curtains were strong barriers and did not let any light sneak through the cracks. The only light Nate and I had now was the natural light of the moon, not quite strong enough to help us find somewhere to go.

And certainly not strong enough to allow us to search blindly for a letter hidden somewhere in this town.

"Now what?" I asked Nate, and it was actually nice to have someone to whom I could ask that now. Somehow, being at the end of a road seemed a little better when I wasn't alone. But, judging by Nate's blank expression, he clearly held no answers for me. So, maybe it wasn't any better being with someone now.

"Well, they completely shut the town down at night. We might be able to get into the Pokémon Center or something, though," Nate suggested, and I nodded. That was good enough for me. I was used to staying in Centers at night from my days as a traveling trainer, and I was sure that—even though Nate appeared to live a life of luxury now—he was not unfamiliar with it, either.

"That sounds—"

"Hey," a voice hissed through the night, one that did not belong to myself nor to Nate. We glanced at each other before searching for the owner of the voice in the darkness. My eyes had adjusted enough that the forms of building rose in the moonlight, and I could see a face peek through the black of an open door.

Nate and I walked towards him, not because it was a particularly wise idea but because we really didn't have any other choice. He had seen us, we had seen him, and in the halcyon night, I didn't think he was going to cause any trouble. And judging by his rather petrified expression, he was clearly more scared of us than we were of him.

"What are you doing out in the streets at this time of night?" the man demanded, and Nate and I exchanged looks again. This time of night? Seven? "It is illegal to wander the streets at night, young men. Though, it appears you must be travelers… why don't you come in? I can give you a place to stay for the night if you'd like."

I held up my hands to refuse, but Nate shouted, "Sure! Thanks a bunch!" before I could say anything. I narrowed my eyes at him, but he was already walking in through the doorway.

The house was as dark inside as it had been outside, and I felt a bit of panic as the door clicked shut behind us. I could hear the man struggling for a moment, and a light eventually flickered on. The first thing I noticed was that the window curtains were not curtains at all, but panels of solid plaster that fit perfectly over the frame. No wonder we couldn't see any light from the houses.

The room itself was nice, though. I imagined that through the years of living within the same families and homes, most of the people of Lacunosa had built up a pretty hefty fortune. The décor of the house was not simple; it was a little ostentatious despite the muted colors and open spaces, with a fine leather sofa and massive television even bigger than Nate's. Even though Lacunosa stuck to traditions, they were clearly not above keeping up with technology.

"Hey!" the man exclaimed in a hissing whisper. "I saw you on the news earlier today!"

"Oh," I said, and he was clearly disappointed that my reaction to this was not better. "Fancy that."

Nate chuckled quietly from the other side of the room where he was looking at the biggest computer monitor I had ever seen. The man who invited us into his home, however, didn't look particularly concerned that Nate was poking around the room. He was scrutinizing me, his eyes hard on mine.

"By any chance…" he began slowly, rubbing his stubbly chin. "You wouldn't be the Adventurer, would you?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** I like to think that Steven and Nate have an adorable little bromance going on, at least one-sidedly on Nate's part. Nate is like the little puppy that wants to play with an older dog who just doesn't want to put up with his crap.

Anyway, sorry again for the long delay. I seem to do that with my longer fanfics because I get distracted and don't have time to write. But I feel that I have a reasonable excuse this time. The first week or so I was finishing up my semester and finals papers and stuff. Once I finished school and got settled back at home, I began editing and revising my original trilogy for publication, so I had to do complete read-throughs (really thorough read-throughs) of each of the three novels. I've been sending it off to agents and stuff (been rejected four times already, whoot-whoot). And, of course, I'm working two jobs now, as well.

So, yes, I've been really busy. I am sorry for the mini-hiatus, but it's been a crazy few weeks.

I hope you enjoy this update nonetheless, and I wish you a happy June! This is my birthday month!


	12. Taming the Beast

**Chapter Eleven – Taming the Beast**

"Huh," Nate muttered, and when I looked back over at him, he had taken a seat at the desk and had his head propped up with his fist. There was a crooked smile on his face, his eyes burning. He winked at me when I met his gaze. "Well, things always do seem to get more and more interesting with you, don't they?"

I turned back to the older gentleman, who now appeared even more worried than he had when he found us outside in the night. I wasn't sure how much this person knew about the whole Adventurer situation, but it didn't sound like he associated anything good with it. Then again, he hadn't sent us away yet, either.

So, I nodded. "Yes, sir, I am. How do you know about that?"

The man reached into his pocket and pulled out one of May's white envelopes, holding it out to me. I hesitated for a moment upon noticing the ripped edge of it, a sure sign that he had read the contents already—though this was obvious considering he knew me as the Adventurer. When he wiggled it once at me, I finally took it in my grip, perhaps just a little bit jealous that someone else had read her words before me.

I slid the note out of its casing, unfolding the paper and growing ever more irritable upon seeing the smudge marks overlapping with the words. I had to remind myself that this was bound to happen; it was a miracle that no one else had found any of her notes thus far, and it wasn't so unusual that someone stumbled upon one. Still, I was a little bitter about how dirty he had gotten the page.

_Dearest Adventurer,_

_Not only have you completed one region, but you have now completed your second. I'm sorry I didn't let you spend much time in Unova, but you have done everything that I have wanted you to do._

_With one exception._

_Let me give you some background first. I stumbled upon this village while doing a little bit of research. I tried to strategize very carefully while considering where to place my letters for you. I wanted to make sure that, in addition to maximizing the amount of people helped, you got a taste of the culture of each region. Unova is well-known for its theatrics, so I hope that you got to experience that at least a little bit by going to the studio._

_Additionally, Unova has a very rich culture centered around tradition. At the peak of this respect for culture is Lacunosa, a place where tradition is as important to its citizens as the air they breathe. I discovered this not long after arriving in Unova, so I thought it important to experience it for myself. I have always been interested in becoming more culturally aware, which may or may not come as a surprise to you seeing as I have been—as a whole—apathetic to the locations. They have not been central themes._

_So, I went to Lacunosa, saw the giant wall they built around themselves. At first, I appreciated the closed setting of the town. I liked that they kept to themselves, liked that they sort of hid behind the wall. It reminded me a bit of me. I built up a wall inside myself, too. And that really was what these people had done—sure, they had a physical fortification around the village, but the bigger, scarier wall was inside them._

_And I realized that that wall was so incredibly dangerous. All they felt—all these people living in this tiny little town felt—was fear. But the more terrifying thing was that I was just like them. I felt fear, too. That was all that was left in me. I could smile in front of a camera, laugh with my friends whenever they made jokes, smile when I won a battle. But I didn't feel any of the emotions usually connected to those actions anymore. And you know what I felt upon realizing that? More fear._

_This letter wasn't supposed to exist, Adventurer. I wrote it at the very last minute, erased the clue from the previous letter and made it lead here. If you found this letter, that means that you're here. So, what do you feel?_

_Did you know that I once loved a man—the same man that I claimed to have hated, maybe did at least a little bit. But fear is a funny thing, you know. It completely overpowers every positive emotion you've ever felt. I've heard people say that love conquers all, but I don't think it does. I love him so completely, but I'm still scared—I am completely terrified at the thought of leaving him behind._

_That's my fear: leaving everyone behind. Since you found this, that means that I'm already gone. I wonder how the me of the future feels now—am I still scared? Are my walls still standing?_

_Here is what I want you to do, Adventurer. This is an optional task, but I do hope that you'll partake in the challenge: destroy Lacunosa's wall. Do whatever you have to do—talk to the village elder, some of the villagers, whatever. Just get it to fall._

_Clue #5: Their walls aren't nearly so tall, but they are set in the ways of the past where history began, protecting the past, present, and future._

_Sincerely,_

_May_

Destroy—destroy the wall? She really wanted me, a man with no connection to this place and no right to even be here, to destroy something so significant to these people? It was part of their history, whether the purpose of the wall had been voided or not—whether it just kept them living in fear or not, for that matter. I didn't have any claim over the traditions of these people.

What was May thinking? Though her methods were skewed, as evident by the horrific movie she created, her intentions had always been pure. She gave away much of her fortune to people who could use it, managed to set up a donation fund for two charities. For all intents and purposes, she was good.

But this… this didn't seem good anymore.

I slipped the letter back into the envelope and looked back up at the man who found it. He folded his hands tentatively together, running them over each other as if he wasn't quite sure what way felt the most comfortable. Well, there was definitely fear in his eyes, that was for sure. Maybe May had met him, too.

"S-sir, I must ask you to not do what that girl says," he finally said, and the office chair Nate was sitting in squeaked as he shifted positions. "You see… I found this note on the wall awhile back, and… well, I didn't really know what to do with it when I read it. It obviously isn't mine, and so I figured someone would come looking for it. But I also realized that the contents of this letter are quite dangerous."

"I'm not going to destroy it, don't worry," I said, and the man sighed in obvious relief. "It's not any of my business, in any case. But… well, do you know if it is possible for me to meet with the elder of this village tomorrow morning? I want to ask him about the wall just to… just to check on something, I guess."

The man nodded, and that was the end of that. He told us his name was Kyon, but that was about all he told us about himself. He disappeared upstairs not too long after he begged me not to destroy the wall, informing us that one of us could sleep on the sofa and the other could grab the little couch. It wasn't much, but it was warm, at least.

"What'd the note say?" Nate inquired once the man vanished up the stairs, plopping himself on the living chair.

I didn't reach into my pocket to grab it. I was thinking now, instead, of the other thing she mentioned in her letter: me. And it had to be me. I was the only other person she had ever written about specifically, the only one she claimed to have hated. In fact, it was the very opposite of that, but I supposed I knew that.

And her fear of being with me was obvious, too. Our night together was proof of that.

Nate didn't need to know about that, and I was sure he would press the matter if I let him read the letter. So, I sat down on the sofa and looked at him, May's envelope safely tucked away in my pocket like a secret. "She wants me to destroy Lacunosa's wall," I settled on saying. "And she gave me the next clue, too."

"The wall?" he repeated, and I admitted myself surprised that he didn't ask about the clue. In fact, I didn't expect to be done with Unova so quickly, but I had an idea of where the next letter was. May was, as she mentioned, strategic. Kanto and Johto were connected, so they would go together. And since they were close to Hoenn, I figured that meant they would be the last stops before returning to our home region.

Meaning that Sinnoh was the next destination. And there was a village there that I had read about when studying the history of this world. So, I was pretty sure where I was about to go.

But Nate didn't know that our road together was already over. I would have thought that he would want to know what the next clue was right away.

"Is that what old Kyon was talking about? And here I thought that May was a pacifist." Nate furrowed his eyebrows, staring up at the ceiling. "Well, I guess… nah, never mind. You said you wanted to talk to the elder about it tomorrow morning, right? You don't mind if I go with you and ask a couple questions, do you?"

I raised my eyebrows. Nate still looked thoughtfully at the ceiling, something glazing over his eyes. "About what?"

"It's nothing really. I just want to ask him something. I've met him before—he knows me," he assured me, as if that was the answer I was looking for. It wasn't at all, but I let the conversation drop. I had some things I didn't want to talk with him about, so it was all right that he had some secrets of his own, too.

Even though it was only about seven thirty at this point, I fell asleep faster than I had in recent days. When I woke up, it was only because Kyon had come downstairs and opened all his shuttered windows, the sunlight pouring in on my face. I sat up slowly, watching as he removed some of the other shades and whistled as he did so. Nate stirred on the little couch, burying his face against the armrest.

Well, that was quite the change. Yesterday that guy had been scared just talking to me, and now he was whistling? I didn't realize how scared of the dark these guys were.

"I made breakfast!" Kyon announced cheerfully when he noticed we were awake.

Nate finally sat up with a groan. When he sent me an angry look, I grinned at him, and this only seemed to annoy him even more. "I'm going to the bathroom," he muttered, his tone laced with something bitter.

After eating breakfast, Nate and I got ready for the day. I tried to comb my hair a little more nicely since we were going to meet the elder, but my hair never liked to cooperate. It probably didn't matter much—on a scale from nice to Nate, it at least looked like I tried. I couldn't say that much for the younger champion.

I wasn't expecting, though, that Kyon would take us to the entire town council. As soon as we walked into the town hall, nine pairs of eyes were upon us, and I tried to flatten my hair more as we made our ways down the aisle to the podium. Nate laughed quietly beside me, clearly unconcerned as always, and I lowered my arms back to my sides.

"I thought we had visitors in the middle of the night. Thank you for taking them in, Kyon," the man in the middle of the group of men and women said, and Kyon bowed. I was just surprised that everyone here considered seven o'clock late. "What are your names, children, and what can we do for you?"

"Children?" Nate repeated under his breath, and I elbowed him.

"My name is Steven Stone, and this is my friend—excuse me, my _acquaintance_—Nate," I said, and I could see Nate shooting me a look in my peripherals. "I wanted to ask you about the wall around your town borders. The legend I heard says that you built the wall to protect yourselves from a monster."

The man in the center, who had to be the elder, nodded. "Yes, that's accurate. There is a Pokémon called Kyurem that lives in the Giant Chasm, and when it first arrived, it stole our people and Pokémon in the night and ripped them apart. It was a horrific time in our history. Our ancestors built the wall to ensure the beast would never get in again and wrote in our laws that everyone must return to their houses by nightfall."

"Yes, that is what I was told. But that was a long time ago. If Kyurem is not a threat to you anymore, then why do you still have the wall?"

The men and women, all of whom had to be at least sixty or seventy years old, all looked appalled by my question, as if I was not just questioning the legend but questioning their traditions. Maybe I was, after all. What was the point of having them if there was no reason to anymore? I wasn't trying to be rude, though.

I just wanted to understand them.

"How are we to know if Kyurem is not a threat anymore without removing our walls and rules? It could still attack us, and then we would have to build the wall all over again, and that would be after it killed us," one of the women from the nine council members said. "Not too long ago, Team Plasma used Kyurem for their evil plans. It has returned to the Giant Chasm—it could be angry that humans used it."

"No, no, no. I fixed that whole situation already," Nate explained, his patience clearly waning already. He held a hand over his eyes, squeezing his eyes shut in evident frustration. "There is no monster anymore. You don't have anything to fear anymore—Kyurem is not a threat to you because _I_ have it."

"You caught the legendary Pokémon Kyurem?" I asked, although I knew I shouldn't have been surprised by that. May had caught plenty of legendary Pokémon, tamed their wild natures. That was one of the reasons why I couldn't believe that May really abandoned her Pokémon, anyway. She cared too much, put too much of her soul into them.

"I'm sorry," the elder said with a smile. "What's your name again?"

Nate reached into his bag and pulled out a Poké Ball, holding it out towards the council. "My name is Nate—I'm the Champion of Unova, the one who stopped Team Plasma when they sought to take control of Kyurem. And in this ball is Kyurem. I want to ask you to look at it… to just see that it really means no harm."

The elder stood up, slamming his hands down on the table in front of him. "How dare you bring that monster in here!"

The woman beside him looked so angry that her face had contorted slightly, her nose scrunched tightly together. "You come to our village and insult us—"

"I'm not trying to insult you…" Nate said carefully, lowering his hand with Kyurem in it. He glanced at me, and I frowned, wondering what we could do now. They obviously weren't going to listen to anything else we had to say now. "I'm just saying that if you just look at it, you'll know that there is nothing to fear anymore. Nothing out there is going to hurt you. You can take down that wall."

"Champion Nate, I cannot continue to listen to you insult our traditions, our culture, and our way of life." The elder now looked equally as angry as the woman beside us, and several of the other council members looked faint. "Things may be different where you grew up, but in this town, we learn from our pasts and use the information our ancestors gave us to live. We don't need you telling us that we need to change."

"Because you're all too scared to change!" Nate cried, stepping forward and throwing his hands above his head in exasperation. He laughed maniacally for a moment, and I stared at him with wide eyes. Everyone had gone mad. "Holy shit, you people are all so depressed! I'm not asking you to give up your traditions—and I'm not trying to insult you. But I _am_ saying that you need to stop living in fear of every little thing outside these walls! Yeah, sometimes things suck, but every now and again really good things happen to you if you embrace change."

Following this outburst, everything fell dead silent, so quiet that I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. I was the first one to move. I walked towards Nate, and when he began to turn away from me, I put a hand on his shoulder. He stopped pulling away from me, his face frozen in his rage, but he raised his arm and smacked my hand away. The sound echoed in the room, and my hand stung just a little.

"Nate…"

"You all live in these little bubbles frozen in time," he muttered, his hands shaking as he curled them into fists. "And you're so afraid that everything around you can shatter your precious town that you don't allow yourself to see everything good in the world. You've built up these walls within yourself even stronger than the one around you."

I realized then what May actually wanted me to do. She didn't expect me to literally destroy the wall standing firm around the town—she wanted me to help the people break their own walls apart, to help the citizens of Lacunosa see that there was more than just fear. And Nate knew that from the moment I told him May's task.

But how? How did she expect me to do that? These people weren't going to listen to us—I could tell by their incredulous expressions. They had all lived the same way for six or more decades, and I didn't blame them for wanting to finish in a place they were comfortable. But Nate had a point—they were missing something else.

Nate's grip tightened around the Poké Ball, and for a second I feared that he might send Kyurem out. But he sighed, turning on his heel and running from the room. I called after him, but he didn't stop—if anything, he ran faster, pushing the doors open so hard that they banged against the walls. I watched until the doors swung shut again before turning back to the council.

"I'm sorry. He just wants to help," I said, and I, too, turned my back on the councilmen and abandoned the room.

I didn't have to go very far. I nearly tripped over Nate on the way out, as he was sitting on the steps in front of the building. He was staring at the red and white ball in his hand, and when I took a seat beside him, he put it back in his bag.

"Well, we're a messed up group, aren't we? Shall we start an Island of Misfit Toys?" he asked jokingly, but I didn't laugh.

"You're very passionate, that's for sure." He gave me a dark look, rolling his eyes. "Have I ever told you that you remind me a hell of a lot of May? She said the exact same things you just told those councilmen in her letter. You're both these absolutely famous champions who are strangely perceptive—but you're hiding something just like her, aren't you? You put on a façade just like she did. Right?"

Nate stared at me then, his youth becoming a bit more apparent. It wasn't as though he was that young—not much younger than me, anyway—but there was something innocent about him now. It was in such contrast to his smug, omniscient attitude that it made him seem that much younger, that much smaller.

"Tell me about that," I continued when he didn't say anything. "Why do you and May need to fake it?"

"Fame isn't a fun thing, Steven. People expect so much of you—"

"Yeah, and they expected a lot out of me, too," I shot back, and Nate's eyebrows rose. I wasn't going to take anymore bullshit from him if he wasn't going to take it from me. He was the one who called me out yesterday. "But why were you and May the ones who fell apart? And what were you looking for by coming with me?"

His eyes began to water, and for a moment I was horrified with myself. But he composed himself, shaking his head. "Whenever I do anything wrong, people know. Whenever I do anything right, people say that I can still do better. It's like… it's like nothing is ever good enough for these people. And I didn't ask for this. It wasn't my intention to play the hero…"

"And May?"

"I don't know—you know her, I don't. But after awhile, I know that I started to hate myself, too. So… maybe May just wanted to get away from all of it. Maybe she just wanted to view the world from outside of herself. She has good intentions, right?" I nodded, although the question was obviously rhetorical. "She's trying to help people. But if it's _May_ helping people, then it isn't going to be good enough. If it's anyone else, it's more than good."

I never thought about it like that. Everything that May ever did, all of Hoenn knew about it. May must have realized that she wouldn't have the same results if she went ahead and did all of the tasks. One of her main points in her letters, after all, was that she didn't want to be the hero anymore. It hadn't had good consequences in the past.

In fact, it drove her mad.

"Why did you want to come with me?" I asked, knowing well that he might not answer.

But he did. It just wasn't the answer I expected. "Because I don't want to feel the way May does—because I don't want to have to lie to do what I want to do—because I don't want to have to run away."

I didn't know what to say to him. It was like all of a sudden, he wasn't this kid with an attitude problem anymore but this young man who had been made vulnerable by everything that the world wanted from him. And he, too, had built this wall around himself and lived in fear of—not everyone else, as I suspected May did—what he might become.

So that was why he went out on a limb. That was why he took chances, why he really wanted to come with me. He didn't want to be the same person as May. Whatever direction he went, he wanted to be better.

"What do we do about this town?" I settled on asking, and Nate rolled his eyes.

"Burn it down?"

I shot him a look, and with that, he smiled and returned to himself. It was genuine, I was sure. He had moments—like that time at the premiere of May's movie—when he faked it. I was sure, though, that he had a little bit more control over his personality than May did. All along I had been seeing the things that were the same between the two champions, but they were actually quite different. So, I knew Nate would be okay.

"About the people," I corrected.

"I'm not sure there _is_ anything that we can do. To get everyone to change? That's impossible. Besides, it's not really any of our business. I mean, it's not like we're asking them to assimilate to our culture, just to think outside the box—but still." Nate crossed his arms, returning to the stubborn man I knew. "You said you got your next clue, didn't you?"

"I think it's okay to fail… don't you?"

And then he _really_ smiled. It wasn't one of those grins I was so used to seeing, something small and a little mischievous. Instead, it was full, so big that his teeth were flashing and little dimples formed on his cheeks. Maybe that was the first time anyone had told him that—I didn't know.

They said that it was bad to give up, but what was so bad about it? Sometimes… in order to be happy, you had to quit. And this kid needed to be happy. Lacunosa would figure it out on their own. They had survived this long, hadn't they? Right now, it was more important for me to focus on what was right in front of me.

"I know where the next clue leads… it's in Sinnoh," I told him, and he nodded. "I understand if you can't come…"

"Is that an invitation?" he asked, the smirk replacing the smile. "Listen, dude, I may be the Champion, but even champions get vacation time. I think it's time that Champion Nate gets to do what he wants, am I right? And I am all for a trip to Sinnoh—until the end, Steven. I'm going to find May with you and tell her that she was wrong."

* * *

**Author's Note:** At this point, I think their bromance has blossomed into a brotherhood. All in a chapter, can you believe it? But it was only a matter of time before Steven brought up the fact that Nate reminded him of May. And it was only a matter of time before Nate caved. The two always had to be connected.

There is a very central theme woven throughout this entire fanfic. I always aim for a bit more depth in my stories—I think that's important. But I definitely think it shines through a lot in this chapter.

Anyway, yay for a quick update! Ideas on the next location?


	13. Of Confidence and Cowardice

**Chapter Twelve – Of Confidence and Cowardice**

It was strange to think that just a few hours ago, Nate had been just an entitled kid to me. I didn't know much about him at the time—hell, I still didn't—but there had been something about his attitude that just rubbed me the wrong way. That laid-back demeanor of his just indicated that he didn't care about much.

In fact, it was completely the opposite. Everything that I thought about him was wrong. His attitude was just something he had built up to protect himself, that laid-back demeanor hiding the fact that he cared about everything. He was a hero, a champion, a movie star—his whole life was out there for the world to see, printed in papers and shown on screen, yet the world saw nothing.

And this only made me wonder how much more I didn't know… about him, about May. Not everything was a farce. Not everything had been played according to a well-thought out plan, elaborate and perfected through years of scheming. There were moments of reality, times when a plain old smile meant so much more because it was true.

But despite that, where were the truths amongst the lies? How deep had they pushed themselves into the dirt?

"Where are we going again?" Nate shouted from his Pokémon, dipping in the sky to become level with me. We were currently en route to Sinnoh after quick departure from Lacunosa. I decided that it was probably better to make a quick exit following our failure, and although we should have thanked Kyon for his kindness, we left without a word to anyone.

Now we were just an little while away from Sinnoh, or so I thought. I had never flown from Unova to Sinnoh, but I thought I could see the formation of the mountain through the haze. After all this time flying, though, it was probable, albeit unlikely, that I was wrong. But I had seen Mt. Coronet enough times to know what its peak looked like.

I was, in fact, familiar with Sinnoh and probably didn't need Nate around anymore. After Hoenn, Sinnoh was the region in which I spent the most time—or it had been, anyway, except I had sold my villa a couple of years ago and stopped coming. I lived in Sinnoh for a little while when I was trying to find all the rare stones there, and once I got them all, I moved back to Hoenn. But during my travels in Sinnoh, I became pretty knowledgeable about the place.

So, it wasn't like back in Unova where I needed Nate to guide me. There was no point in even having anyone following me around. I moved faster alone, and I was used to traveling by myself. That was all I had ever known, to be honest. Ever since I first left home, it had always been just me. Maybe that was antisocial of me, but I just preferred it that way.

But now there was something lonely about thinking of going on alone again, and Nate had only been tagging along for a couple of days. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't think I could take this by myself anymore. May's letters kept hitting harder and harder every time, and I was afraid that if I left Nate behind, I wouldn't be able to keep going.

It was a good thing, then, that Nate agreed to fight this out to the end. I was going to hold him to that.

"Celestic Town. It's a town said to preserve the history of all of Sinnoh—I would think that this would fit the clue that May left. It's a pretty well-known historical village," I finally responded to Nate, the wind blowing in my ears making my voice sound a little funny.

Nate's eyes lit up, a smile blooming on his face, but I couldn't help but note that it was a little mischievous. "Celestic Town?" he repeated, flying slightly closer to me. "Hey, isn't that where Champion Cynthia is from? Or, well, ex-Champion, I suppose. Do you think we'll see her again?" He curled his hand into a fist, holding onto his bird with just one hand. "Ah, man, she's hot. I'd love to see her again. You know, when I'm not crushing her in a tournament."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, and she's a good ten years older than you… horny little bastard," I muttered, knowing well that he wouldn't be able to hear me. He continued to grin like an idiot, and I dove closer to the water. I couldn't look at that face much longer.

Admittedly, I was glad that, at the very least, Nate could smile and joke like that around me as genuinely as he could. But, at the same time, he had shown me his more vulnerable side, too. I was glad that he trusted me enough to show me both sides of him, to let me into his life just a little bit. It was more than I had done for him.

And he was confident. That was _far_ more than what I could say about myself—even May. Nate could command a room, surely, when he wasn't having one of his meltdowns. That confidence was alluring, persuasive—contagious, even. I felt surer of myself being around him, as though I really did know what I was doing.

I wondered if he was like that when he first started out as a trainer. I could see it, certainly… May, on the other hand, had been the least confident trainer I had ever met when I first met her, early into her journey to becoming a champion. She was innocent, easily persuaded, not at all like Nate was now.

We first met at the Granite Cave north of Dewford. I had been there looking for, well, granite when she came across me in the farthest corner of the cave. I had headphones in, and I was carving away at the wall trying to get the sheet off of it—it was a huge piece of granite, the beautiful igneous rock that made even lovelier constructions. I was so into my work that I hadn't noticed her come into the alcove, and when she tapped me on the shoulder, I jumped, sliding my pick across the rock.

And the single piece of granite that I was trying to get split into two.

"Damn it," I muttered, jumping back to avoid the piece falling on my foot and nearly knocking her over in the process. I pulled the headphones out of my ears, turning around to face her with a face probably scarier than I meant. She retreated from me, pushing herself back against one of the walls and staring at me with wide eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she said, bowing to me, and I recalled raising my eyebrows at her like I had no idea what she was talking about. "I am so, _so_ sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Um, well, uh, should I—well, I don't know how to carve rocks out of the wall, so I don't think I would be very much help trying to get you a new one. But I'm sorry!"

I laughed. And I laughed and laughed as she apologized over and over, rubbing the back of my head with my dirty hand. "That's what I get for being so into my work. It's my fault for being such a rock maniac." I smiled at her then, taking her in through the dimly lit room. She was smaller then, so fragile, her face rounder and younger.

But when she smiled, there was something to her—something strong. I could tell even back then that she was going to be a challenge for me, and I knew well that she would eventually fight me. That feeling that I had when I became the champion, only two years ago at that point, I felt again in that moment. Power, excitement, a thirst for more. She would reach me someday.

The only thing she lacked at that time was confidence.

"You wouldn't happen to be Steven, would you?" she inquired. I had been surprised that she knew my name, as I had been a fairly underground champion—I preferred traveling to battling those days, so I didn't take very many challengers. It wasn't as though my name was really a household name, even with the "Stone" attached to it. If anything, people knew my dad. I was just his son, though maybe a few experienced trainers would recognize my name.

When I nodded, she held out the letter, and I could see my name scrawled out in my dad's chicken scratch on the top of the envelope. So, she hadn't known who I was then, after all. I had gotten my hopes up just a little bit—why, I wasn't sure. Maybe because I really did just want to battle her, and I hadn't had that feeling in a long time.

"It's from a, um, Mr. Stone in Rustboro… of, uh, Devon Corporation."

Even in this limited light, I could tell that her cheeks had turned rosy, and she wouldn't make eye-contact with me anymore. I saw through that quickly—she was embarrassed that she was name-dropping. Ha, to think that she had met many more well-known people than my dad now. She didn't dare be embarrassed today.

"So, you've met my dad? I should have known: that PokéNav you have there hasn't been released to the public yet." I pointed to the little device attached to the strap of the bag slung across her waist. She glanced down at it before looking back up at me with wide eyes. "Didn't he tell you that this was for his son?"

"He just said it was for Steven, sir," she said, and I laughed again. Maybe my laughing hadn't been much help to her confidence…

"Don't call me 'sir'. I'm not that old." Though my voice was laced with something bitter, I tried to keep my tone light. But May ended up blushing again, lowering her gaze from mine once again. If I had been trying for that smile again, and maybe that was my goal, I had yet to be successful. My sense of humor wasn't really that funny.

I tore the letter open with a shrug, pulling the folded sheet from the envelope. It was an absolute miracle that anyone could read that man's handwriting.

_Dear Steven,_

_I hope your travels are going well! I just wanted to let you know that I got word that there are some really rare stones in Sinnoh. I have a friend there who has been talking about a man named Riley who once owned Iron Island. Apparently Iron Island has more than just iron, and my friend also mentioned that Mt. Coronet has many jewels that you might be able to collect. I suppose I'm just saying that you could be happy in Sinnoh._

_Things are more or less the same here. Not much to report. Stock is up, but I'm sure you've been keeping track of that just fine._

_Love,_

_Dad_

_P.S. A bunch of hooligans calling themselves Team Aqua attacked one of my employees. Be on the watch. I'm sending this letter with the girl who stopped them._

The post-script was written much more hastily and sloppily—as if that was possible—than the body of the letter, an after-thought probably scribed just before sending this already-prepared communication. The attack had been recent, then—and this girl, the timid one standing before me, was the one who stopped it.

My intuition was correct. It wasn't usually wrong, but I knew well then that this girl would challenge me for the champion title someday. Little did I know, though, that she would become a heroine for Hoenn, and little did I know that she would become the most confident girl I had ever met. So confident, in fact, that she was willing to throw her life away on a gamble.

And that gamble was that someone would find her letters and follow through.

"Well," I began, folding my dad's letter back up and shoving the envelope into the pocket of my jacket. "You deserve something for coming all the way here. Want some granite?" I gestured to the heap of rock on the ground, and she smiled awkwardly—not exactly what I was going for, but I would take it. "I'm only joking. Here: Steel Wing, my favorite move."

"I can't—"

"Sure you can. You just did," I said when she grabbed the disc from me, and I shoved my hands in my pockets, running my fingers over the envelope there. "I'm sure I'll see you again. I bet you might be able to challenge the champion someday. You seem to be quite capable. Anyway, I have to be off now. Thanks for the letter from my dad—make sure he pays you back for doing his dirty work for him, okay?"

She finally smiled again, her eyes bright through the darkness of the cave. I didn't know what had done it—my assurance that she would someday battle the champion, me, or my joke about my dad. I had a feeling that it wasn't the latter, seeing as none of my other lame jokes had done anything for her.

But that was the start of her confidence, I just knew it. All she needed was for someone to tell her exactly what she already knew: that she was strong, that she could make it through this. And maybe I hadn't said that enough. Maybe I needed to remind her again, after all this, after she already had confidence, just to let her know that she could make it through again. And maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have left.

Well, there was nothing I could do now. And as Nate and I touched down in Celestic Town outside of the Pokémon Center, surely halfway through this game by now, it was already far past that. The roles had changed completely—where was my confidence now? I was, perhaps, the epitome of cowardice instead.

"Cynthia, Cynthia, Cynthia," Nate sang as he returned his Braviary to its Poké Ball. I elbowed him, knowing that Cynthia would actually show up if he continued, and he chuckled.

"We need to find the letter," I ordered, and he nodded, serious again.

The town wasn't that big, but May didn't give any hint as to where she put her letter here. I had a feeling that, since May wrote her letters ahead of time, she made the clues general since she didn't know much about all of the places she went to. And she would have to put the clues in random enough places that the average person wouldn't stumble upon it like Kyon.

"Got any ideas?" I asked Nate, and he shrugged. I was surely asking the wrong person—the only thing he knew about this town was that Cynthia originated from here.

Maybe I should have left him behind after all…

"There's a shrine in the center of town, but that seems like it would be far too obvious a spot. The ruins might be a more plausible spot. I don't think people enter them all that often from what I understand. I've certainly never been in them—it's not a tourist attraction or anything, either," I said slowly, more talking to myself than to Nate.

"That sounds ambiguous enough for May," Nate agreed, and that was that. It was a starting point at the very least.

We walked briskly towards the Celestic Ruins. Outside the cave, there were carvings of the legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh, towering wooden panels placed delicately along the slope of the valley hills. Nate's jaw dropped at the sight, and I smiled at him—though I doubted he noticed. When we entered the ruins, though, his gape grew ever larger.

It was certainly impressive, and as Nate sent out his Emboar to light up the cave, we could see more clearly the etchings of Sinnoh's history. And there, in the back of the cave, I could see the gleam of something white against the darkness, the light absorbed in the paper. While Nate stood and admired the etchings, I ran forward and collected the letter.

First try… it felt like it had been forever since I had done something right.

I slid my finger underneath the flap of the envelope, ripping it open and reading the letter. She always had so much she needed to say—everything, perhaps, she needed to say before disappearing forever. Words ceased eventually, anyway. She might as well drag it out for me—she might as well make the pain last longer.

_Dear Adventurer,_

_Welcome to Sinnoh! I hope you'll enjoy your stay here. Let me assure you that you won't be here too long, though. You see, I have never been a fan of the cold, so I certainly cannot subject you to that torment. There is only one task and one other letter here. Sinnoh is beautiful, so it's kind of a pity—but you're welcome, of course, to stay longer and do some traveling if you so desire._

_I read an interesting story about this place once. Apparently the etchings in the Celestic Ruins tell the tale of the legendary Pokémon Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf—or, at least, some of them. It is unclear whether the etchings represent Giratina in place of Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. If it is Giratina, it is possible that these etchings tell the origin of time and space, as well as the existence of another world to counteract this one._

_It's certainly a theory, anyway, though I'm not sure I would buy into it. A Distortion World is a unique concept, anyway. If Giratina truly lives there, I wonder how it feels—is it lonely being all by itself, in a place where neither time nor space follow laws? How does it feel to be alone without knowing how long you'll be alone for? What if it never ends? What then?_

_The pass of time is never fast enough. Yet… I could complain about not having enough time, too. Isn't that strange? We wish desperately that time will flee, that things will eventually end, and they do. But then we wish for other things to last forever._

_They won't, though. Nothing last forever. That's common knowledge. So why must we wish for the impossible? Why do we want what we can't have?_

_I guess that's human nature, anyway._

_Your task here is a simple one: give your time to the people of Sinnoh. Do anything you want, just give them some of your time. A couple of hours maybe. It's amazing what a couple of hours with strangers or friends or family or anyone can bring. So, even though time doesn't last forever, even though things have to end, at least you can spend the time you do have with other human beings._

_You're spending your time with me, even if I'm not really with you, and I thank you for that. Good luck, Adventurer. Your next letter waits for you in the coldest town in the country. Go to Snowpoint and get the letter with the next hint from the right side of the temple to the north._

_Thanks again for your time._

_Sincerely,_

_May_

* * *

**Author's Note:** And today's the day: my 21st birthday! I'm so old now. Maybe I should stop writing fanfiction, haha.

Hope you're all well. Thank you for the many birthday wishes thus far! :)


	14. Time Spent

**Chapter Thirteen – Time Spent**

_Give your time_.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? How was I supposed to do anything when she didn't give me any clearer instructions? _She_ was the one who set this whole thing up, after all. She ought to have some sort of plan for her beloved Adventurer to follow. All of a sudden it felt like she had abandoned me again.

No… she wasn't abandoning me… she was giving me freedom. Why, I wasn't exactly sure—maybe because she wanted to give me what she didn't have. Or maybe she just wanted me to feel like I had more control over this game of hers than I really did.

It should have been reassuring, but it wasn't. It made me a little uncomfortable.

Still, I had already failed her last task, so I felt an obligation to follow through with this one. And it really was up to me on what I wanted to do.

If I could spend time with anyone, with whom would I spent it? And what would I do? What did May _expect_ me to do? She said in her very first letter that I would experience culture through the tasks she planned, and she hadn't necessarily followed through with that promise—unless she considered her charity work showing the more negative sides of culture. So, did she expect me to do something like her other tasks again?

"You got it, Steven?"

The light got brighter as Nate approached me with his Emboar close to his side. I passed the letter to him without a word and watched as his eyes flickered back and forth across the page. The corners of his lips twitched slightly about halfway through reading, and he handed the letter back to me when he finished.

"Looks like she's loosening the reins a bit, huh?" Nate sighed, staring at the etchings on the wall. He reached a hand out, touching them with the very tips of his fingers before smiling and dropping his hand back to his side. "All you gotta do is spend time with someone in Sinnoh? Anyone at all for just a couple of hours? I mean, how easy is that?"

"I don't think she intends for it to be easy," I said slowly, tucking the letter into my pocket. I had quite the collection there now, and it was starting to feel far too padded and full. "She wants something bigger."

In fact, this seemed like a much bigger challenge than any of the other tasks because she gave no guidelines to follow. At least with the first task, she told me where to go and to whom I should bring her money. And with the second task, she brought me to Stu Deeoh to set up her film. Even if they had been _hard_, this was harder because I didn't even know where to start.

And where could I? Sinnoh was huge.

"Why, hello, boys."

I didn't even have to turn around to know who that was—all I had to do was see Nate's face light up. And when I did turn, sure enough, Cynthia was standing near the entrance of the cave with her hand on her hip. Her long blonde hair blew gently in the air current at the mouth, the tail of her black jacket flapping behind her. I glanced over at Nate again to make sure he wasn't drooling.

"I thought it was you." She smiled, stepping further into the cave. Nate and I met her halfway, walking to the center of the cave where we all shook hands. "I was just helping some of the kids around town when I saw two boys walking into the ruins—didn't think that I would see you again so soon after the tournament in Unova. You definitely move quickly."

"Kids?" I repeated quietly.

"Apparently you do, too, since you're already back in Sinnoh. How's it going?" Nate asked smoothly, his voice just a little bit deeper.

Cynthia was helping kids… huh…

"Good, good." She put both of her hands on her hips now, glancing between the two of us. "Listen, it's going to get dark soon. Why don't the two of you come on over to my house for some dinner? It's not often that champions get together to do anything, and even though this is completely impromptu, it might be a good chance to just talk a little. We didn't really have time during the tournament."

We agreed—Nate, of course, looking at me excitedly once Cynthia turned around—and followed her to her house. It had belonged to her grandmother before her passing, and she had left it to Cynthia in her will. Apparently the people of Celestic Town didn't want Cynthia to sell it, so she tried to stay there at least a couple of times a month just to make them happy.

I tried to listen as best I could as Cynthia told us this on our walk over, but I was distracted by what she had said earlier, just a side-thought that wouldn't have meant anything to anyone else. She had been helping some of the kids around the town when she saw us… she was spending her time with _them_.

The conversation had shifted entirely by the time I let my attention drift back to Cynthia and Nate. "You must feel so accomplished being a champion at such a young age. You're both so talented. Steven over there become the champion of Hoenn when he was just seventeen, did he tell you that? Those Hoenn champions are really something. Must be something in the water," Cynthia was saying, and she glanced back at me with a smile. I forced one back. "I didn't become Champion until I was twenty-six. I must sound like an old woman to you two boys."

"No… no, that's really impressive. I know that you're highly regarded as one of the strongest champions ever, so those extra years of training must have really helped you," Nate countered, and I rolled my eyes. He was certainly laying it on thick, wasn't he? The poor kid didn't even stand a chance—couldn't he tell? Or was this just for laughs?

She patted Nate's shoulder, and he beamed at the touch. "Thank you, Nate. You're cute."

Well, if he couldn't tell before, he certainly did now. As Cynthia stuck her key into the door of her house, a large house with a sloped yellow roof and large windows, Nate's face darkened, his eyes narrowing at the back of her head. I smiled at him, but he just scowled when he noticed. I had to stifle a laugh.

Her house reminded me a bit of my own: there wasn't much to it. She kept it simple, with just a couch and two chairs, a television, a coffee table, and an empty bookcase in the living room. There was a lot of free space around us, but it didn't sound as though she stayed here very often. Like me, she probably preferred traveling. And, if I wasn't mistaken, she had another house or two in some of the other regions. To furnish all of them like palaces would be far too expensive.

"Let me open a bottle of wine and put something in the oven, and then we can chat. You're twenty, right?" She looked at Nate, who crossed his arms with a sigh. I had a feeling that he was a little bitter about the fact that Cynthia was treating him like a kid, especially considering the fact that he had been going on about how hot she was earlier. It had to be disappointing.

"Of course I am."

Cynthia vanished into the kitchen, and I could hear her opening and closing drawers as though she didn't know where anything was. Nate sat down on the couch, his arms still crossed, and I smiled at him.

"Are you actually twenty?"

"Twenty-one. Want to see my identification, officer?" Nate pouted, and I held up my hands in surrender. Yep, he was definitely bitter. I could understand his frustration, although I didn't think that Cynthia was _intentionally_ babying him. It was probably just annoying for him considering he had defeated her multiple times in the tournament, and he surely thought he deserved equal treatment. "Why, how old are you, old man?"

I tugged at a strand of my hair, which I could barely see shining silver in my line of vision. I had always had it pretty easy—I admitted that I had gotten away with drinking quite often in my youth because of my hair, despite my young face. And, of course, I had always been pretty mature for my age. I liked to think so, anyway.

"Twenty-four," I told him, and his eyebrows rose. I couldn't tell if that meant he expected me to be older or younger.

Cynthia came back into the room holding three glasses of red wine between her fingers, and she set them down on the coffee table. "Here you go," she said, passing one to Nate and one to me. She took the last one for herself and sat down in one of the chairs, gesturing for me to sit down, too. "Make yourself at home. I put a casserole in the oven, so it shouldn't be too long."

I sipped at the wine, its bitter taste lingering in my throat. It was pretty good, though—I imagined that Cynthia was the type of woman who drank wine with her dinner, and she probably liked really classy kinds. I didn't know too much about wine. I had always been more of a beer kind of guy, but I didn't really drink that much anymore.

"Delectable," Nate said, holding the glass up and swirling the wine around in it. I covered my mouth with my hand to hide my chuckle.

"How are you holding up, Steven? From what I understand, you were pretty close with May. Are you doing all right?" Cynthia asked, crossing her legs and holding her glass of wine carefully in one hand.

I nodded, and though I tried to smile, it probably looked a lot more like a grimace. "I'm fine. I'm just trying to keep busy by traveling and such. I'm sure that she will show up eventually—she always liked to do really crazy, spontaneous things, so… I'm trying not to worry too much. She wouldn't want me to worry, anyway…"

Cynthia smiled reassuringly, her gaze soft on mine. "Well, if you ever need anything, just let me know. But it certainly seems as though you've been keeping busy. You participated in the tournament last week, and I heard on the news that you set up a donation to Pokémon Palace and the Soup Kitchen, too, during this past week. That's absolutely outstanding. I try to do as much as possible for the community, but I think you've got me beat. What else are you planning on doing? Anything fun while you're in Sinnoh?"

"Well…" I glanced at Nate, who lowered his glass of wine back onto the coffee table and was staring at me curiously. "I actually wanted to ask you about something regarding my plans in Sinnoh. There is an orphanage here, isn't there? What town is it in? And do you happen to know how many children are living in it?"

Cynthia raised her eyebrows in evident surprise, and for a moment, she just stared at me without saying anything. "I don't know where it is, actually," she admitted quietly, as though she was disappointed in herself for not knowing. Hell, I had lived here, too, and didn't know. "Let me… let me go look it up in the phone book really quickly. I'll be right back."

She set her wine on the coffee table next to Nate's and scooted out of the room. When I looked at Nate, he appeared just as surprised as Cynthia, although he didn't let me see it for very long. Once my gaze met his, he smiled at me, and something unsaid passed between the two of us. I hoped he didn't mind, but what I had planned was going to take more than a couple of hours.

I drank my wine to pass time amidst the silence, and after a couple of minutes, Cynthia returned to the room. "The orphanage is in Solaceon near the Pokémon daycare center. I made a phone call to see how many kids there are, and apparently there are about sixty-seven right now. Most of the kids are around ten years of age."

I put my glass of wine down, folding my hands together. I didn't know why I had suddenly grown so attached to the idea of going there, but I had in this short amount of time. I spent almost no time with the kids in Hoenn, and yet Cynthia had been helping them when we got here. It just sounded like something I had to do now.

Not to mention that the very thought of these kids living there by themselves bothered me. Even if I hadn't been very close to my dad growing up, I had definitely lived a privileged lifestyle. These kids might never know that.

"That's where we're headed tomorrow," I decided, glancing at Nate to make sure this was all right with him. "They're why I came to Sinnoh."

* * *

Cynthia had been more than hospitable to us. After feeding us—a splendid casserole that she probably planned to eat alone and shared with us—she housed us, as well, allowing Nate and me to spend the night in her home. When we woke up in the morning, she had breakfast ready without the expectation of anything in return.

"It's my pleasure, Steven. It's not every day that I get guests, so I like to pretend that I'm this awesome host when I do. My parents were always much better at this. I really have no idea what I'm doing," she joked when I thanked her for everything. I had a feeling that she was lying, but I just laughed along with her. She seemed like she secretly loved this.

We were gone by ten that morning and en route to Solaceon. It didn't take very long to get there, seeing as Celestic was just a town over. Barely twenty minutes had passed by the time we arrived, landing beside the Pokémon Center.

"I have to go in for a minute," I told Nate, and he nodded. "Do you mind if I use your bag?"

"My bag? What are you doing?" he asked, but he handed it over to me without waiting for the answer.

I just gestured for him to follow me, and we walked over to the PC. I typed in my information onto the computer, and several boxes came up with my name on it. I clicked on the first box, bringing up Pokémon withdrawals. Despite having lived in Sinnoh for awhile, this was my first time using the storage system here. It was a little bit different than mine in Hoenn, but it was easy enough to figure out.

"Who are you switching?" Nate asked, and I shook my head.

"I'm not switching. I'm taking some Pokémon out. Sixty-seven of them to be exact. I have to override the system to allow me to take out more than six, but I should be able to do that." I typed a couple of commands into the keyboard, and with a beep, I was good to go. The systems allowed for the withdrawal of more than six with the commands—in regulated matches, only six were allowed for a battle, but there were plenty of people who didn't battle. This allowed for them to take more than six Pokémon with them.

"You have sixty-seven Pokémon in there? And what are you planning on doing with them?" he asked, although through his tone I could tell that he already knew what I was planning. So, I chose not to respond.

I flipped through my boxes, taking out some of the Pokémon that I hadn't used in a long time. May's movie, although ridiculous, did get me thinking—there were plenty of Pokémon that I hadn't taken proper care of, and although they were treated fine in my boxes, I felt bad keeping them if I wasn't going to care for them myself.

As the Poké Balls popped out of the machine, I placed them in Nate's bag. By the time I got sixty-seven of them out, his bag didn't close anymore.

"Come on," I told Nate, and as I tried to swing the bag over my shoulder, he grabbed it from me and swung it over his. I smiled at him, and the two of us left the Pokémon Center. Beyond the daycare center, I could see a large building that resembled a dormitory or apartment building, and we headed towards it.

When we got to the door and knocked, a young woman who was probably Nate's age opened the door. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she had her dark hair combed back into a ponytail. Her clothes were old-fashioned, with a long skirt to her ankles and a long-sleeved sweater that didn't quite match the skirt.

"How can I help you?" the young lady asked, glancing us up and down.

"Hi, there. My name is Steven Stone, and I'm…" I paused, the words sitting on the tip of my tongue. I didn't really want to tell her that I was the Champion of Hoenn, but I didn't really have a choice. I needed an in if I was going to do this. "I'm the Champion from the Hoenn region. I'm visiting because I want to give each of the kids here a Pokémon and teach them how to care for them properly. And, if it was also all right with you, I want to teach the older kids how to battle, too."

The girl raised her eyebrows, and her exhaustion vanished slightly from her eyes. "Wow. You really want to do that?" When I nodded, she smiled. "That's so nice of you. It's all right with me, but I need to ask the head supervisor to make sure. Why don't you come in and visit with the kids while I go ask? They're just finishing up breakfast, so they'll all be in the cafeteria."

She led us through the orphanage, a brightly painted building that resembled a lively school more than anything. On the main floor, they had the cafeteria, gym, and playroom. The building used to be an old primary school, apparently, but they turned the top floors and classrooms into rooms for the children. During the school year, the older kids went to the school in town.

When she left us in the cafeteria, we received looks from many of the kids—some a bit suspicious, others curious. I wasn't sure for a second how this was going to work. But a moment passed, and all of a sudden I felt something wrap around my legs. When I looked down, a little girl hugged my legs and stared up at me eagerly.

"Hi," she yelled up at me, and I squatted to her level once she let me go.

"What's your name?" I asked her. Her blonde hair, airy and light, covered parts of her face, and I brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. They were such bright blue—the brightest I had ever seen before. She was probably the cutest little girl I had ever seen before.

"Lara. I'm four!"

A couple of other little kids came over to meet us, and only one of the teenagers came over to say anything. Eventually the monitor came over to talk to us about what we were doing here, sending the kids off to play elsewhere. By the time he had finished interrogating us—although it was in good spirits—the woman who let us in had returned with an older woman.

"Steven Stone, huh?" she asked, reaching a hand out to me. When I shook it, she turned to Nate and held her hand out to him. "And you?"

"Nate. I'm the current Champion of Unova."

She nodded, letting her arm drop back to her side and smiling at us. She was a bigger woman with short curly hair, but she had the same tired eyes as the other girl. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Elaine. I just wanted to personally let you know that I have approved your request—I think it's a great idea. I always see some of the kids eyeing the daycare over there a little enviously."

I grinned, my heart skipping a beat. Yes.

"Boys and girls, I need you to all sit down quietly and put your listening ears on!" Elaine shouted to the children, and there was a scramble as they all ran back to their seats. There were a couple of murmurs once everyone settled—mostly from the older kids who probably didn't appreciated being told to put their listening ears on. "I have two guests today for you. They're both Pokémon trainers from other regions. This is Champion Steven from Hoenn and Champion Nate from Unova."

The older kids who had been talking fell silent, and Nate and I stared awkwardly out at the crowd. I hadn't really interacted with kids enough to say that I was really comfortable with them. Sure, they were adorable, but they were surprisingly intimidating, too.

Elaine gestured for me to step forward, and I glanced back at Nate before doing so. "Uh… hello, boys and girls. As… as she said, I'm Steven. I'm a trainer who, um, took the league challenge several years ago and won—which is basically just a… um…"

"We both train Pokémon. We started with one Pokémon each and eventually caught more. Our Pokémon have become our best friends, and we are happy to share that with you today," Nate finished for me, stepping up beside me. He was a lot better at this public speaking thing than I was, but I wondered how often he had to do it.

"I've brought some of my old Pokémon… in that bag there," I continued, feeling a little bit better as I pointed to the bag slung over Nate's shoulder. "They're all very low-leveled and completely untrained. So, I want to offer these Pokémon to you to have… to keep and train and play with and battle with and… bond with."

There was an eruption of voices then. Little boys and girls who didn't really understand just jumped in with the talking, while the oldest children were smiling and laughing excitedly with each other. Elaine raised her right hand in the air, and after a moment, it became silent again. But there were still smiles glued to the kids' faces.

"I want everyone to line up in a straight line. I'm going to give everyone a Pokémon at complete random. I don't know who you'll get, but that's half of the fun. Once you get it, I want everyone to push the tables off to the sides and keep your Pokémon in their Poké Balls. When I give you the signal, you can release them, but not until then," I explained, and everyone nodded.

Chaos ensued. I had never really been meant to lead a crowd—especially when that crowd was a bunch of four to sixteen-year-old children. Elaine waved her hands above her head, shouting at the kids as they pushed and shoved each other to get in line. A couple of minutes passed before the line was straight and silent.

And then I got to work.

I could tell that all of the kids were itching to find out which Pokémon they got once I passed them one of the balls from the bag, but they followed directions well. In fact, I had gotten a lot of Zigzagoons and Taillows from my PC for them. During a small forest fire a couple of years ago, I caught a bunch of them to save them from the fire and smoke. But there were several Arons, Ralts, and Wurmples in there, too, and maybe a couple of rarer Pokémon that I just happened to take out of my PC.

They were better off in the hands of these kids, anyway. May had made her point clear enough.

The tables had been pushed to the sides as I asked, and the kids lined up on either side of the cafeteria, holding their Poké Balls in their hands, some more tentatively than others. "Okay, you can release them," I announced, and though I expected more chaos, suddenly it was as though some sort of bubble pressed over all of the kids and their new Pokémon.

I could see bonds forming within seconds. A couple of the younger children grabbed onto their Pokémon, hugging them close, while the teenagers beamed at their new teammates. When I looked at Nate, he nodded at me with a grin, his arms crossed over his chest. I turned to Elaine, who had tears in her eyes, and she nodded at me.

"Some of you will want to nickname your Pokémon, and that's completely acceptable. Others won't, and that's okay, too," I told the kids, and it fell silent again. "The most important thing is that you take care of your Pokémon. Treat it with kindness. Become its friend."

I looked at Nate again, leaning in closer to him. "Can you take the little kids and let them play with their Pokémon somewhere?" I asked in a whisper. "I want to help the older kids get down the basics of battling."

"Sure," Nate agreed quickly.

"Now, anyone who is at least ten can stay here with me! Anyone younger than ten will go with Nate!" I shouted to the kids, and the younger kids broke free from the line of children around the room. Elaine sent the girl who answered the door with Nate, and she stayed with me. It was probably better that she stayed with me—Nate could handle himself a lot better than me, I was sure.

I walked into the center of the floor, grabbing one of my own Poké Balls and sending out my Aggron. The kids whispered in excitement, and I patted the top of my Aggron's head. I didn't have any Pokémon around the level of the kids', so I would just have to let them do all of the attacking…

"This is the final form of Aron. He was one of my very first Pokémon when I became a trainer. That's an Aron there." I pointed to one of the kids with an Aron at his heel, and I gestured for him to step forward. "I'm going to show you the basics of battling. Battling is not meant to harm others—it is used to create bonds between people and Pokémon. You should never battle to the point that your Pokémon is hurt. At the end of a battle, some Pokémon may faint, but there shouldn't be any injuries that are permanent."

The kid who I picked swallowed, and I smiled at him. "Your name?"

"M-Mike."

"That Aron knows Tackle and Harden right now. Tackle attacks the opponent's Pokémon, and Harden raises your Aron's defense. In order to sustain less damage from an opponent's attacks, you can use Harden. Why don't you tell your Aron to use Tackle right now, though? My Aggron is at too high a level, so I can't attack, anyway," I said, and Mike nodded.

"Aron, use Tackle!"

The little steel-type ran towards my Aggron, hitting against it and stumbling back. Aggron barely moved, but it was enough to show an example. I sent Mike back into the crowd of older kids, and his friends around him high-fived him.

I didn't give them too many instructions since I really just wanted to see what they could do, and they split into pairs to have quick battles. They were simple: just little battles to show them the very basics of battling. Elaine walked around the room to make sure things didn't get too out of hand, her face a little more concerned than elated now.

And that was that. There was nothing much more for me to do now. I left the kids to their own devices, sitting down at one of the tables off to the side and watching them battle. Eventually the younger kids returned with Nate, and he sat down beside me at the table to watch. It was a little out of control, but everyone was having fun.

"You're a good guy, Steven," Nate told me, watching as some of the kids battled each other and others played with their new Pokémon. They were all laughing and smiling—the happiest kids I had ever seen. To think that they were all living together without any parents… to think that maybe some of them had been given up…

I shoved one hand in my pocket, waving to one of the littlest kids who waved frantically at us. "I was just doing what May would have wanted."

"I don't think so for a second." Nate leaned back against the table, his voice low. I stared at him, not knowing what to expect. With Nate, I could never quite tell. "You don't get it, Steven—you're a _good_ guy."

He was right: I didn't really get it—I didn't know what he was trying to say. And as he watched me now, waiting for it to click, waiting for me to understand what he meant, I couldn't. I had no idea what he was trying to tell me, and there was no way I could ask. So, I put a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him, and stood up to face the crowd.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I read a text post on tumblr that said something along the lines like "Finding a fanfiction that sounds really good and then finding out that it's written in first-person" sucks. So, out of curiosity, I want to know your opinions on this. As you know, first-person is my POV of choice. What makes it any less "good" than a third-person story? Would you like this story more if it was third-person? I just want to hear some of your thoughts because I was kind of irked by that post.

I tried to keep Cynthia pretty close to her game character, and who knows how successful I was with that, haha. She just seems like a nice lady, you know? A kickass nice lady.

Also… I really hope you enjoyed this chapter because I enjoyed writing it! Definitely one of my favorites so far.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes, by the way! :)


	15. Against the Sun

**Chapter Fourteen – Against the Sun**

"It's c-c-cold. I h-hate… the cold," Nate complained, hugging his arms around himself. We hadn't really packed for the cold weather, after all, so I couldn't completely blame him. And to be fair, I definitely had warmer clothes on than he did. But despite the fact that I understood how he felt, I was starting to get sick of hearing his voice.

Not to mention that I was trying to focus on anything _except_ the cold, and hearing him complain about it just reminded me that I was freezing, too.

It had started to snow just as we flew over Route 216, and neither of our Pokémon could fly anymore in the blizzard that soon developed. We were forced to land, but seeing as we were in the middle of nowhere, we couldn't very well stop. Snowpoint wasn't too far away—or so we thought at the time—so we decided to walk through the blizzard.

It wasn't one of our best ideas yet, that was for sure.

"L-let's take a b-b-break," I suggested through chattering teeth, walking towards the edge of the forest.

The snow didn't fall quite as hard there, and Nate would be able to send out his Emboar. Since neither of us really knew where we were going, though—and I certainly avoided this part of Sinnoh when I lived here—it was impossible to traverse through the woods instead of following the path. At least the path was guaranteed to lead us to Snowpoint, and I didn't want to spend any more time in this storm than necessary.

Emboar melted a patch of snow for the two of us to sit on, and I pulled my knees against my chest as I sat down. Damn, it _was_ cold. Even with Emboar burning his energy for us, it was still going to be impossible to get warm. I was as soaked as if I had gone swimming in my clothes, the tips of my hair frozen together.

"S-Stevie…"

"Don't c-call me that," I warned him, but he didn't seem to be fazed by my tone.

"Why do you c-care so much about M-May?"

I didn't really understand the question. It wasn't as though I had asked to fall in love with her; there was no off or on switch in my head, nothing that allowed me control over my feelings so easily. And even without her here, I felt her presence so closely to me—I couldn't forget her. Not during this game. And if I couldn't forget her, I couldn't refuse to care.

Nate fidgeted uncomfortably on the ground, scooting a little closer to his Emboar. For once, he seemed to realize that he had asked something that he didn't want to know the answer to, but he had already gone too far to go back. So, he swallowed and continued, "Why are you going so far to h-help her when she abandoned you?"

"To be honest, I _have_ questioned my feelings," I responded hesitantly, a fire suddenly burning within me. I wasn't sure why I now felt obligated to answer him. "I feel like her toy sometimes… she keeps sending me all over creation asking me to do all of this stuff for her—things that I wouldn't do otherwise. I don't even want to be a part of her game. But I want to find her, even if she did abandon me. I don't think she did it because she wanted to necessarily. She left because she thought she had to, and it was easier to leave without telling anyone."

"No." Nate shook his head, his gaze hard on mine. "That wasn't my question. I understand why _she_ did it—what I don't understand is why _you_ are. And this bullshit about you just doing what she said doesn't convince me. What you just did for those kids… that's proof of that. That's what I meant when I said you're good. You don't _have_ to do any of this… but you are. So, try again, Steven. Why are you helping her when she left you? Why do you still love her?"

I wanted to hit him. I really did. And when I looked down at my hands, I had curled them into fists, my fingers pressed so tightly against my palms that it hurt. He didn't know anything—and here I thought he was so perceptive, that he saw all of these things that he shouldn't have known. But he didn't even get the simplest thing.

I loved her because I always had. She was the first girl I ever loved—maybe not from the moment we met, but I certainly loved her soon after. She kept showing up again and again in my life, something so unusual at that point. How could I not love someone who kept finding me? How could I not love someone who _found_ me?

And now it was the other way around. In one way or another, whether she knew it or not, I would keep showing up in this new life of hers: again and again and again and _again_ until I found her. If she needed to be saved this time, then I would accept that challenge. I would let her manipulate me if that was what I needed to do.

But why—why did I love her still? Nate had a point. Maybe most other guys would have given her up by now, stopped this game before she could end it. And I honestly feared what waited for me at the end of this road. The letters didn't reassure me on that. In the back of my mind—the most reasonable part of me—I knew that she was probably dead.

Dead… that was so likely.

That, I realized, was the why, though. I loved her because I wanted her to live. Maybe it should have been the other way around—that I wanted her to live because I loved her. But it wasn't that. It was my determination to find her that made me love her even more. She started this game for me… in one way or another, whether she knew it or not, it was always for me. If anything, I loved her more now than I did before.

I uncurled my fists, but I wasn't able to look Nate in the eye. I pushed myself to my feet, stepping towards the edge of our makeshift sanctuary and stared at the white open field before us. The snow fell harder now, the wind whipping it back and forth so that it was impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.

"Let's go," I said quietly, stepping into the storm.

It got worse as the sun set, darkness filling in what the whiteness of the snow had not. It was colder now, and as we stalked through the two-feet of snow accumulated beneath our feet, I wasn't sure that will power alone was enough to keep me going anymore. My bones were chilled, my muscles cramped in the cold, but I kept going anyway. I only knew that Nate was still behind me because I was pretty sure I could hear his teeth chattering.

"I… absolutely… h-hate… this!" Nate shouted over the rush of the wind, and I pulled my suit coat more tightly around myself. Emboar had used up the rest of his energy almost an hour ago now, and neither of us had another fire-type to warm us up. It was dangerous to send Pokémon out in this weather, anyway.

Hell, it was dangerous for us to be out in this weather, but we didn't really have a choice at this point.

"We h-h-have to be al… almost there," I shouted back.

And, as if sent by some divine being just to prove that I was right, I saw lights through the veil of snow. I laughed in euphoria, surely gone a little loopy now, and pranced through the snow towards it. My breathing was unsteady, coming and going in deep puffs, but I couldn't stop. I just wanted to be out of this storm.

We burst through the door of the Pokémon Center, and every eye in the room turned towards us. The nurse behind the desk jumped up from her seat, hurrying around it. I put my hands on my soaked knees, trying to catch my breath as snow melted off my hair in the heat of the room. My skin had already begun to burn.

"Look at you two! You're soaked!" the nurse exclaimed when she reached us, and I managed to push myself up straight again to look at her. She didn't seem so much concerned as she was angry. "You didn't just come through that storm, did you? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? That's incredibly irresponsible."

It wasn't that I didn't agree with her, but I didn't particularly care right now. I really just wanted to get out of these wet clothes, but my only change of clothes was in Nate's bag—which, of course, was just as soaked as we were.

"Let me see if I have clothes for the two of you. So irresponsible," the nurse muttered as she walked away into the back room.

We sat down on one of the futons, setting our stuff on the floor to dry while we waited. A few minutes passed before the nurse returned with a couple of pairs of clothes, still muttering to herself about how irresponsible we were. But she led us to the back where there were showers and bathrooms, anyway, pushing Nate into the first bathroom and then sending me into the second.

The hot water never felt so nice, but it stung terribly as it hit my frozen skin. I completely took advantage of the Center's hospitality, however, and stayed in the shower an extra couple of minutes even after finishing washing myself off. When I got out and switched into the clothes the nurse gave me—which were a couple of sizes too big but still completely comfortable—Nate was already back at the futon watching the television.

"Do you want something to eat? Or a coffee or something?" I asked, reaching into the pocket of my soaked clothes and fishing out the letters and my wallet. Well, it was good that May wrote in pen. At least when the letters dried they would still be a little legible. Not that it mattered much—I practically memorized all of them already.

"Maybe just a water?"

I nodded, pulling some bills from my wallet and heading to the vending machines. I bought a water bottle for Nate and a hot chocolate for myself, although I didn't even really feel like drinking it. I just wanted something warm to hold in my hands.

"Thanks," Nate said as I passed him his water bottle, but he didn't open it. He held it carefully in his hands, staring at nothing in particular.

Huh. That was kind of weird. "You okay?" I wondered, and he shook his head, snapping out of his dazed state. He smiled at me, although there was still something a little bit weird about it. He seemed kind of uncomfortable, like he was still sitting in his wet clothes even though he wasn't. Maybe he was still cold.

"I'm fine. Just zoning out," he assured me, and I nodded, plopping down on the couch next to him.

I set my drink down on the floor next to me despite never taking a sip from it, and I leaned back against the futon and closed my eyes. What time was it? I had lost track of it once the sun set, but even that had probably been a few hours ago. All I knew was that exhaustion had suddenly taken hold of me, and all I wanted to do was sleep.

"Look at this, Steven," Nate said, elbowing me out of my relaxed state. I rubbed my eyes, lifting my head off the head rest and letting my gaze follow Nate's pointed finger towards the television. This was the second time I had seen my face on a television in the past week. "They sure get to work fast, don't they? Must have called the news station the second we left or something."

I stood up, walking closer to the screen so I could hear the sound coming from it. Shoving my hands in the pockets of the too-big pants I was wearing, I had to completely crane my head just to be able to see and hear it at the same time. The volume was turned so low that I ended up being almost directly beneath it.

Nate walked up beside me, and I took my eyes off the screen for a second to look at him. I was pretty sure that he already knew what was coming. Hell, even I knew.

"—seems that Champion Steven Stone from the Hoenn region is on a charitable frenzy these days," the anchorwoman said in her rehearsed voice, staring into the camera so hard that it felt as though she was staring right at me. I couldn't help but feel a little bit accused. "According to the Solaceon Orphanage, Champion Steven arrived at the orphanage with Champion Nate from Unova early this morning and gave a Pokémon to each of the children there. He taught the older kids how to battle, while Champion Nate explained how to take care of the Pokémon to the younger kids."

The screen faded and moved to a video of Elaine back at the Solaceon Orphanage. "The two boys just showed up at the orphanage this morning and asked if they could give each of the children Pokémon. They were absolutely wonderful with the children—and I know those kids are thrilled with their new friends, as well."

The image transitioned once again, this time to the boy with the Aron—Mike, was it? He was holding his new Aron in his arms, the little Pokémon sleeping soundly there. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of it, as though maybe I had done something right today. They both looked happy, even if the two had just met.

"Champion Steven was really cool," Mike told the man behind the camera with a smile. "He had a big bag of Poké Balls, and we all lined up and got to take one. The little kids went with Champion Nate, and we stayed with Champion Steven. It was really fun. He sent out his Aggron and showed it to us… and he explained how battling works, too. It was just… a lot of fun, and I hope he knows how thankful we all are to him."

The anchorwoman appeared on the screen again, a momentary pause as they informed her that she was back on. She pressed her lips together, her chest rising as she took a deep breath, and then forced a smile. "This latest charitable act comes just after news that the champion made arrangements so all proceeds from _Across the Sun_, the controversial movie about the missing champion from Hoenn, go to the Soup Kitchen and Pokémon Palace.

"Speculations have been made about why Champion Steven chose these charities," she continued, her tone a little darker now. "Let's hear from Joss Jacobs on this latest development."

A man with bright red hair, combed politely to the side so that it was completely out of his eyes, nodded at the camera. "Yes, there have been recent speculations about _why _Steven Stone chose these charities in particular. Some have argued that he is going directly against everything that Champion May, the missing champion, said in her interviews in _Across the Sun_ and the points the film emphasized. According to Champion May, she released all of her Pokémon that she did not use. Champion Steven supported Pokémon Palace as, perhaps, a counter to this. She also alluded to the amount of money she has made as Champion and her hesitancy to donate it. Champion Steven then supported the Soup Kitchen. So, it would seem that he is choosing to support charities that Champion May would not have."

Familiar words showed on the screen now—lines from the movie without the horrible images in the background. _There are more Pokémon trainers today than ever before. Two in every three people will become trainers compared to the one out of every four just ten years ago. This means that more Pokémon are being raised than ever before, as well. But more Pokémon are being abandoned by their trainers. One in every three Pokémon will be released back into the wild, but more often than not, they have suffered the cruel reality of battling._

"This quote comes directly from the film. The point here is that the more trainers there are, the more released Pokémon will come as a result. Steven Stone gave Pokémon to all of those children in that orphanage and taught the eldest how to battle—which, of course, will ultimately create even more trainers," Joss continued, and he clapped his hands together and shrugged, as if all of this added up perfectly. "I would say that Champion Steven is challenging his successor, perhaps asserting his stance _against_ hers."

"Thank you, Joss." The anchorwoman returned to the screen, flashing her white teeth at us and folding her hands on the counter. "More details will be directed straight to you once they are available. As always, thank you for watching breaking news at ten, and we hope that you will join us again tomorrow. Have a nice night, everyone."

The closing credits rolled on the screen, but I turned away from it before they finished. Nate smiled awkwardly at me, but I just crossed my arms and shook my head at him.

"I don't want to hear it, Nate."

"I wasn't going to say anything!" he said defensively, and I walked back over to the bench on which I had been trying to sleep prior to this. His footsteps echoed close to me. "I mean, all right, I was just going to say that it looks a _tad_ bit suspicious that the current champion goes missing, a movie shows up about her, and then the champion before her goes against everything that she apparently believes in."

"She doesn't believe in any of that stuff, though. That was just to get everyone off her backs—to set me up as a hero in her place. Besides, I don't need to hear this from you. I already get it from Jameson…"

I sat down, leaning my head back against the headrest and closing my eyes again. I could feel Nate sit down beside me, and he fidgeted a couple of times and made the couch bounce. I opened one eye to peer at him, and he pursed his lips as he stared back at me. Of course there was more he wanted to say. There always was.

"Nate," I warned.

"I just think that the faster we get out of here now, the better. It's begun, Steven—it starts off with a couple of news channels trying to interview you, and then it turns into even more when they realize they have a story. And eventually they'll never leave you alone." Nate shuddered, and I sat up straight again. "It will die off when we get to Johto or Kanto, I'm sure…"

Was he _concerned _about me? I was actually flattered.

"It's too late to leave now," I told him, and he sighed dramatically. "I'm tired, you're tired. It's been a long day. And it's not like we can go looking for the letter in this snowstorm. I don't think she'll let us out even if we wanted to." I nodded my head towards the nurse who had returned to her spot at the desk.

He sighed, squeezing the water bottle that he still held in his hands. I understood his concern—I really did. I wasn't exactly thrilled with all of this information about me leaking out to these news stations, but I didn't really have a choice in the matter. It was already out there. In the end, the only thing that really mattered was that I wasn't in jail yet.

That was so sad… that was all I had going for me right now.

"We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning. Don't worry about it," I promised him, trying to sound reassuring and probably failing. I turned my head to face away from him and closed my eyes again, determined to at least get some sleep before tomorrow. I wasn't sure Nate was going to get any. "Good night, Nate."

"'Night…"

I waited a couple of minutes to open my eyes again, but when I looked at Nate, he had moved to one of the other futons and spread out across it. That freaking kid… _he_ was a good guy…

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the thoughts on the first-person/third-person question. I enjoyed reading what everyone had to say on the matter. It's very interesting to consider how important POV is to any story!

Sorry that this chapter isn't super exciting in terms of plot progression. But it wasn't a filler chapter either (I don't believe in those, so you probably won't ever get one from me). There was some important plot points in here, too!

Sinnoh is about to wrap up! Letter next time!


	16. A Little About Me

**Chapter Fifteen – A Little About Me**

When I woke up the next morning, Nate was nowhere to be found. I panicked for a moment, wondering if maybe he left when I wouldn't, unable to stick around anymore if I wasn't going to take his concerns seriously. And then I realized that I was freaking out about him being gone, and I reminded myself that I hadn't _really_ wanted him to come with me in the first place.

I _was_ worried, though; I couldn't deny that. But when I noticed that his bag was still sitting on the floor by the couch, I exhaled slowly, something heavy releasing from me. I tried to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach fixing itself, rolling my eyes at the very _thought _that it was _Nate_ I was worried about here. If anyone could handle himself, it was that kid.

Except when he returned from wherever he was, he looked like he might not be able to handle anything. His cheeks were flushed bright red, his eyes tired. There was something weird about the way he walked towards me, like he wasn't standing as straight as usual. His steps were slow and heavy, his feet shuffling against the floor.

"You look terrible," I told him when he collapsed on the couch beside me. Maybe it hadn't been concern for me yesterday, after all, but the start of illness… and when he was zoning out, he probably just felt sick and didn't want to tell me.

"I probably look better than I feel… I spent the night in the bathroom throwing up, and I have this splitting migraine…" He rubbed the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. "Go on without me, Steven. I can't make it any longer!" he announced dramatically, throwing his arm back down to his side.

I rolled my eyes, standing up and staring down at him. "I'm not going on without you, Nate. You'll be okay in a little while."

As I walked towards the nurse to see if she had any medicine, I realized that I just blew my chance to get rid of him without any thought. It was never about that, anyway. I had no intentions of leaving him behind now, no matter how much he annoyed me at times. Though it killed me to admit it, the kid was starting to grow on me.

Not even _starting_… he already had.

Since the Pokémon Center was just that—a resting place for Pokémon—the nurse didn't have very many medical supplies for people. She managed, however, to scrounge up some anti-inflammatory pain relievers and nausea pills while I bought another water bottle for Nate. I watched him as the machine retrieved the bottle, staring at him while he lied down on the futon, holding one hand over his eyes and the other over his stomach. There was something strange about his coloring, too—he was surprisingly pale, but his face was a bright pink in contrast to the rest of him.

"Here," I said, handing him the water bottle. The nurse hurried over and handed him the pills, and he forced himself to sit up. His cheeks puffed, as if he might throw up again, but rather than taking a step back, I put a hand on his shoulder and crouched beside him. Whatever threatened passed, and he exhaled slowly and heavily, shaking his head at me.

"So much for leaving first thing in the morning," he muttered bitterly before swallowing the pills with a swig of water. "I'm sorry, Steven. I just don't think I'll be able to."

"This is what you get for going through this storm. But, so you know, the boat from the port at the southern part of the town only leaves once a day at noon without any mind to the weather," the nurse told us, handing a couple more pills to Nate. "It's only ten right now, so you have a little bit of time. I can't tell you if you'll feel any better by then, but you have some time to recover."

Nate nodded as he swallowed the next set of pills, sticking his tongue out in disgust as they slid down his throat. "Those are," he said, "the most vile things I have ever tasted."

We had two hours until the boat left… I hoped that Nate would feel a little bit better, but the prospects didn't look great. Still, I had to go find the letter, and that would give Nate some time to let the drugs settle. If he wasn't any better by the time eleven forty-five rolled around, I would have to think of something else.

"You can stay here. I'm going to go look for the letter, okay?" I told him, pulling my suit jacket on over the clothes I borrowed from the nurse. It had dried out enough that it would help keep me a bit warmer in the frigid climate of Snowpoint, but that probably wasn't saying much. Even if I had on a freaking parka, my bones would still freeze.

I was from Hoenn, all right? I had been spoiled by decent weather pretty much my whole life.

Nate waved me off without another word—that was when I realized how truly sick he was—and I walked out the front door of the Pokémon Center into the blizzard that had been blowing consistently since last night. I stood in the snow for a moment, my legs sunken beneath at least three feet of snow, staring into the white haze ahead of me. If there was a good way of approaching this, I had no idea what it was.

Hell, I was already half in the snow already. I just had to go at this.

As I walked, surely looking like some strange beast waddling through the snow, I managed to get a good footing on top of the snow. It was heavy and wet, and it packed together nicely as I walked on top of it. Unfortunately, the same heavy wet snow hit me in the face at high speeds when coupled with the wind, and I wasn't sure my face even existed anymore.

In this weather, finding a white envelope attached to the side of the temple wouldn't be nearly as easy as it sounded. When I got to the temple, however, and slid beside it into the forest, it turned out all right. The trees blocked most of the snow, alleviating some of the visual problems. True to May's words, I could see the form of an envelope between snowflakes, kept dry beneath the roof that hung slightly lower than the walls of the building.

I grabbed it and fled back into the relative dryness of the forest. There wasn't much light, but there was enough for me to be able to read the words May left behind. I ripped the envelope open, a little damp despite the roof, and unfolded her letter. It was long. Really long. Her handwriting was cramped, tiny, words crushed together at the bottom of the page where she ran out of room.

_Dear Adventurer,_

_I hope you had a good time sharing your time with some new friends. I may not ever find out what you decided to do, but I'm okay with the uncertainty. So, no matter what you did, remember that it was your choice. I never told you what to do. In the end, it doesn't matter whether I know or not because that time belongs to you and the person with whom you shared it._

_I have a confession: in my head, I have this elaborate fantasy about the type of person you are. You're this complete mystery to me in actuality, but I like to think about who you are as I write these letters. You're in my thoughts, outlined so completely even though I've never seen you—not like this, anyway. I know nothing about you as the Adventurer. You could be a girl, you could be a boy. You could be old, you could be young. But none of that really matters._

_Tell me a little bit about yourself. Just whisper it to me in the air—maybe it will catch some wind and find me someday, somewhere. You can tell me anything you like. Nothing at all, if you prefer it that way. I'm not nosy. I guess I just want to believe that you're actually out there. If you're reading this, you exist. But right now, as I write this note, you're just my own little voice in my head._

_Let me tell you a few things about me. You know a lot about me that might not necessarily be good things—and I'm sure you now know things about me that you might like. People tend to be like that. But I want to share with you something different. You can have me. The real me. It's not often that I want to share the real me with people, but I trust you—the person in my head, at least._

_This is going to be completely random. You're about to get whatever the hell pops into my head._

_Right now I'm sitting at a desk in my bedroom in Hoenn. I have a couple of plush dolls on it, a picture of my mom, and a couple of books. One of them has only been half-read. I've read the other a bunch of times. I have a big bookshelf on the wall to my right, though, and I think I've read most of those books. My favorite book is "Rat Tail" by Marv Trende._

_My favorite color is green. My favorite breakfast food is cereal with strawberries. I really love chocolate—dark, milk, white, you name it. I broke my wrist when I was seven years old. I had gone through a bit of a rebellious phase right before that happened. Then again, I guess I never really outgrew it. At least the first time I only jumped down from the roof._

_Even though I evolved mine, Torchic has always been my favorite Pokémon. I like to sing at the top of my lungs when I'm flying on my Pokémon because I think no one can hear me, but I'm pretty sure half the world can. I had tuna fish for dinner tonight. Spaghetti yesterday. My first kiss was with a boy named Mick when I was six, but I'm not sure that really counts._

_My best friend's name is Wally. When I was younger, I used to hate my dad because I thought he spent more time training than he did with my mom and me, and all I really wanted was attention. I love my parents more than anything, though. I'll miss them the most. Them and Wally. Some of the gym leaders, too. I made a lot of good friends while I traveled through Hoenn._

_And, of course, there's Steven. He keeps coming up in my letters. I can't get him out of my head sometimes. Maybe that's because I love him so damn much. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever said that. And that really scares me—that I could love someone so much. And it scares me even more that I have to go away when I have these feelings. I know what I have to do, and it makes me sad to think about it._

_That's the worst part about all of this. I've been planning and planning… I know what I'm doing. I'm completely conscious. But the idea is so much more appealing than the execution. I know that I have to leave all of these people behind, and it really scares me. Of course, I'll be gone when you read this, but please take note that May, Champion of Hoenn, savior of Hoenn, was scared to death of leaving._

_This is all the room I have. To be continued, I guess._

_Clue #6: Kanto is much like a painter's pallet, giving access to a variety of colors in multiple forms. In a golden, bursting city, a major company holds the paintbrush. Visit the roof and hit the canvas._

_Sincerely,_

_May_

I didn't know why, but tears starting slipping down my cheeks—burning hot against my skin—about halfway through the letter. By the end, I managed to control myself again, only to get to the part about me and have it start all over. I held the letter against my face when I finished, holding my breath until I composed myself.

I knew a bunch of what she told me. I knew that her favorite color was green, knew that her best friend was Wally. I knew that she had broken her wrist because I asked her why she had a scar across it once, to which she responded that she had needed pins to hold it in place. I knew her favorite book—that was mine, too.

Some of it was new, though. I didn't know that she had her first kiss back when she was six, but I didn't think that counted, either. I didn't know she liked cereal with strawberries. I didn't know she liked to sing when she went flying, so maybe no one could hear her after all. Or maybe no one had been listening.

And I didn't know how she _felt_ when she did all this. I thought about why she did it, how it made _me_ feel, how messed up she must have been to choose to play this game. But I never really thought about how upset she had to be. Not seriously.

For fuck's sake. I was so selfish.

I stuffed the letter in my pocket where it would stay—this one was for my eyes and my eyes only. Nate didn't need to read it.

When I made it back to the Pokémon Center, after spending way too much time out in the cold, I stomped the snow off my shoes and made my way over to Nate. He had spread himself out on the couch and was currently sleeping, and I picked up my now-dry clothes to replace these wet ones. I probably spent more time in the shower than necessary yet again in an attempt to warm up.

Kanto. Well, her clue was obvious. I spent a little while at the Silph Co. headquarters back when I was trying to find the Soul Dew. It was in Saffron City, the largest city in Kanto, but her clue wasn't nearly so vague as the last few. Of course, Silph Co. had recently beefed up their security due to a couple of threats, so getting to the roof was nearly impossible.

When I got out of the shower, it was almost eleven thirty. Nate was sitting up on the couch and speaking into whatever gadget he had from Unova. Once he noticed me, though, he waved into the screen and turned it off.

"Hey, did you find the letter?" he asked me in hushed tones once I got close enough.

"Yeah. How are you feeling?"

Nate shrugged, as if that was an answer. Admittedly, he looked a little bit better than he had earlier. He wasn't quite so pink in the face, and some color had returned to the rest of his skin. Judging by the granola bar wrappers around his feet, he must have also managed to get some food into his system, too.

"Still not great. It is what it is," Nate finally elaborated, and whatever optimism I had just been feeling vanished pretty quickly.

The boat left no matter what the weather conditions once per day, and if I wanted to catch it, then I would have to leave in a couple of minutes. There was no way that I was walking through the storm again back down Route 216—either way, I was better off taking the boat to the Fight Area and then flying down to Sunyshore to take another boat to Kanto. That was probably a faster route… and I didn't need to worry myself with tickets anymore since Jameson already knew I had left Sinnoh.

And as much as I wanted Nate to come with me—as much as I _didn't_ want to abandon him here—the longer I waited, the longer May would be waiting for me. Dead or alive, time was adding up. I didn't have a choice; I didn't have _time_ to wait for Nate to get better. But was it heartless of me to leave him behind while he was sick?

Damn it…

"Well…" I picked up Nate's bag, rummaging through it for some of my stuff. Things in it were completely dry now. "I suppose I can catch the boat—"

"No!" Nate yelled, jumping to his feet. He wobbled, but when I reached a hand out to steady him, he smacked it away. "I'm not staying behind! Don't you know how to take a freaking joke? I was kidding when I told you to go on without me earlier. I refuse to be left behind and let you finish off this adventure without me!"

He crossed his arms, staring at me with a hard gaze despite being so obviously exhausted. I couldn't control myself then. It started as just a chuckle, a little laugh escaping from me before I could stop it. But the laugh grew within me as Nate stared at me, and I burst into hysterics, slapping a hand to my mouth to try to stop myself.

It was the first time that I had let myself lose so much control in front of Nate. I wasn't entirely sure why I was cracking up so badly, but maybe it might humble me a little. I had been getting a little too sure of myself lately—so set in my ways, so convinced that I was the only person who cared about finishing this thing, that I forgot about everyone else. Even with Nate standing right next to me for days now, I isolated myself.

When I managed to regain control, I smiled at Nate and pushed his bag back to him. "I realized you were adamant about coming along, but I guess I didn't realize _how_ adamant," I told him, and he raised his eyebrows. "You didn't let me finish. I was going to say that I can catch the boat tomorrow when you're feeling better. But I'm so honored that you want to stick this out with me. Makes me feel a little bit special."

Nate's already rosy cheeks darkened to a deeper red. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Oh, what gave you that idea?" I smirked at him, and the first hints of a smile—the little twitch of his lips—appeared on his face. "I think I've accepted the fact that May is going to be in the same place no matter how long it takes to get there. I don't think that staying an extra day or two in Sinnoh will really make a difference."

"Eh, I'm beginning to feel a little better, anyway. The medicine is kicking in now," Nate assured me. "The port is right there—and I've never gotten seasick before, so I don't think that would make me any sicker than I already am. I know how eager you are to go, Steven. Don't worry about me. I can push through."

I shook my head. "You said earlier that you didn't think you could do it. Don't push yourself if you really can't handle it," I advised, and he pursed his lips. There was a moment of silence between us, just his gaze hard on mine, and I finally rolled my eyes. "Don't you dare blame me when you get sick again."

"Ah, Stevie," Nate sighed, "I love how sensitive you are!"

"What did I say about calling me that?"

Nate just grinned, obviously having heard me but not really caring. We repacked whatever things we had taken out of the bags to dry and returned our borrowed clothes to the nurse. Even though it was clear that she didn't really like us, she still smiled at us (gritted her teeth, really) and thanked us when we gave them back. What she was thanking us for, I didn't really know.

By eleven forty-five, we were ready to go. There was just one last thing I needed to do before we left. "I need to make a phone call. Just give me a minute."

Nate nodded, and I left him by the door as I retreated a bit further into the building. It was a number that I had never called before and never thought I would. Why I even had it was a mystery in and of itself. Maybe in a moment of curiosity or something we had exchanged numbers. I always thought our relationship as something brief.

I pressed the call button anyway, holding the PokéNav against my ear. "Hey, Lyra?" I said into it when I heard the click on the other end. "This is Steven Stone. I need you to do me a favor."

* * *

**Author's Note:** In real world news, I just published my original series, The Gilded Trilogy. It is a young adult fantasy series comprised of three books: Aerosion, Aquarius, and Aurea. If you follow me on deviantART, you've probably seen stuff about them. I'm going to give some more information as it is available, but if you like my writing, then I totally recommend buying my books! How's that for marketing, haha? I'll let you know with the next update when and where they are available for purchase. Right now I'm waiting for my copies to arrive.

A million thanks for everything so far, ladies and gents!


	17. Friends

**Chapter Sixteen – Friends**

Judging by how much Nate talked on the boat from Sinnoh to Kanto, I figured he was feeling better. He was all over the place, running up to the captain and asking him about the boat's mechanics and top speed and whatever else I didn't really care about. Had he been feeling better then, I bet he would have done the same thing when we rode the boat from Snowpoint to the Fight Area.

I spent most of the ride lounging on the deck, not really soaking up the sun so much as just feeling its warmth again. I closed my eyes and let the light hit me, the cool ocean breeze blowing my hair against my forehead. It was nice. For once, it was just like I existed and didn't have to worry about anything else.

Of course, I could hear Nate jabbering away somewhere else on the boat, his voice so easy to pick out over the others. But despite that, I was still pretty relaxed. In any case, I needed it. Even if this boat ride was only a couple of hours long, it was long enough for me to feel refreshed after it was over.

Besides, I felt that it was necessary to rush through Kanto and Johto. They were the last two regions left—all that separated me from finding May—and the faster I got them over with, the faster May returned, at least in one way or another.

If nothing else, this game only reaffirmed my feelings for May. But at the same time, I could feel myself moving on, too. I would certainly always love her; she was my first love at the very least, and I had come all this way just to find her. The thing was, if she was dead… I knew that I would keep moving forward. I would have to do that. She would have wanted me to, anyway.

Maybe I should have been sad to realize that. I had sort of gotten use to the idea that she was dead, convinced myself long enough that it could be a reality. But what if that was the point of this game? In the end, it was just a tool to help the world get over her, to move on after relying on her for so long. What if that was what she wanted?

But if she was alive, I was going to kiss her a thousand times over and tell her how sorry I was. At the end of the day, I loved her even more than the start. So, even if I was moving on, she was still there.

"Stevie—"

"_Nate_," I warned, but he continued as if he didn't hear me.

"—did you know that the towns in Kanto are all based on colors in one regard or another?" Nate asked me as we disembarked from the boat. I rubbed the bridge of my nose. So much for being relaxed. "That's pretty cool, right? I've never actually been to Kanto. Apparently they're really well-known for their cuisine. Can we go to a restaurant?"

I sighed, shooting Nate a dark look. He smiled at me. What was the point? I could scold him all I wanted, give him as many annoyed looks as possible, but he would just ignore me in the end. "You sound like a five-year-old," I told him, my voice low. "Do you ever stop talking?"

"Sure, but I can tell that my talking pisses you off." He smirked then, and I curled my hands into fists. _You like him, Steven_, I reminded myself. _He's your friend. He may have a death wish, but he's still your friend._ "I'm just kidding. So, el capitán, where are we headed exactly? And who did you call back in Sinnoh?"

I exhaled slowly, pointing straight ahead. Vermilion was a port town next to Saffron, which was pretty convenient for us. I could see the skyline above the small Vermilion houses, the tallest of those skyscrapers belonging to Silph Co. It was just a fifteen minute walk away, and then we'd have another one of May's letters.

"Saffron. And I called an old… acquaintance." Even that familiarity sounded a little off. Lyra wasn't really an acquaintance even. She was more like… a person I just happened to meet a few times while I was in Kanto. And whose number I just happened to have. "I met her back when I traveled to Kanto a couple of years ago. I called to ask her for a favor."

"Steven Stone? Asking for favors?" Nate raised an eyebrow incredulously, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'm just saying. You don't really like to ask for help."

Well, I couldn't argue with that. But Silph Co. had a new president since the last time I came, and even though I was the champion in Hoenn, that didn't really grant me any special privileges here. Maybe being the son of the Devon Corporation head would have helped, but I knew Lyra would have better luck.

She was, after all, the Champion of the Indigo League, which served both Kanto and Johto. And she was apparently friends with Red, the beloved Champion from Pallet Town. Since he stopped Team Rocket from infiltrating Silph Co. several years back, he was well-known there. So, if anyone could get me in, it was Lyra. Besides, we met at the Silph Co. building once. If that wasn't fate, I didn't know what was.

"In any case," I continued, ignoring Nate, "I told her that we should be arriving around seven. She's going to meet us outside the Silph Co. headquarters."

We had been relying so heavily on our Pokémon for travel lately that it was a good thing Saffron was within walking distance. Skarmory was starting to get tired—I could feel it as we were flying to Sunyshore earlier. And Nate loved his Pokémon so much and spoiled them so badly that it was by some miracle that he hadn't chastised me about it yet.

"What sort of girl is she? This acquaintance of yours?" Nate asked after the silence had gone on for too long—but not yet long enough—as we walked towards Saffron. The gate to the city was just ahead, but it wasn't quite close enough, either. "And does she have a name, or are you just going to keep referring to her through pronouns?"

"Lyra. Her name is Lyra. She's the current champion here… the successor of Lance," I said, knowing full well where this was going. Nate raised his eyebrows at me, and I looked forward again. "I'm assuming you don't know her. She's been very involved in her business in Kanto and Johto. At least when I knew her, which was, you know, years ago."

"I've heard of her, though." He spoke slowly now, rubbing his chin. His eyes were kind of distant then, like it took more of his energy to think than to look forward. "She's got to be around my age, right? Like, maybe a year or two younger than me." He smiled, his eyes lighting back up. I shook my head when he opened his mouth to speak again. "Come on, Steven…"

I managed to keep a straight face, although I could feel a laugh bubbling in my throat. Poor Lyra. She had no idea who she was about to meet. "Leave her alone, Nate."

"I'm just saying—"

"Keep it in your pants, will you?" I whispered since we were passing through the city gate now. I waved at the guard, and he smiled and nodded. Passing into the city, we were met with the same bursting energy that I remembered from two years ago. "We're about to meet her. Try not to scare her off."

I didn't look to see what Nate's reaction was to my request. Instead, I stared straight ahead as we walked, navigating around the blocks of skyscrapers to the only one that mattered. And there, right in front of the glass doors of the ground floor, I could see the familiar silhouette of a girl I knew a couple of years ago.

She had certainly matured a little bit, although her pigtails were more or less the same. But her face was older, thinner, all the baby fat of the teenage years vanished. She was actually really pretty. And when she saw me, she clearly recognized me, too. She raised a hand, a little one-two back and forth wave, and we met halfway. Unsure what to do, and a little awkward, I held out my hand towards her.

"Lyra, thanks for meeting me here on such short notice," I told her as she grasped my hand.

"Not a problem. I was nearby, anyway, and I never quite learned how to say no to a little challenge." She smiled, turning to Nate next and holding out her hand. "I know you. You're the champion from Unova, right? I've seen you in a bunch of movies." Though I expected to see her retreat a little when he grabbed her hand, perhaps from being starstruck, she held his gaze firmly and gave his hand a few quick pumps.

Nate, on the other hand, was the one who seemed a little surprised. His cheeks had turned pink again, a look he had only just abandoned since getting over his illness, and he swallowed and nodded. Lyra smiled at him and then turned back to me, but I kept my gaze on Nate for a second longer. It was kind of amusing.

"I got you a VIP pass. This should give you access to the elevator, which is normally only accessible by employees. Ride it to the top floor and then take the stairs to the roof." She handed me a little card, shiny and new, and I couldn't help but wonder how she got it. Then again, I had a feeling the people at Silph Co. loved her. If I was right, a couple of the gadgets on her belt were Silph Co. products. "I only got one, though, so I'm afraid one of you is going to have to stay behind. I don't mind waiting."

"I'll be glad to wait with you," Nate said quickly, as if this was something I would even attempt to debate with him.

Lyra smiled at him again. It was good that she wasn't at all concerned. If Nate was one thing, it was harmless. Still, if he talked as much with her as he did with me, I had a feeling that Lyra would regret helping me by the end of the night.

"If you don't mind me asking," she began hesitantly, looking back at me again, "why do you need to go on the roof? I mean… I'm glad that you called me and everything, but even I have to admit that this is a little weird."

I knew that question was going to be asked eventually. Lyra had been really cooperative on the phone when I called her earlier today. She didn't ask very many questions, just conversational stuff, and when I told her that I needed a pass to get to the roof, she agreed without an interrogation. Maybe it was just a champion thing. We did lots of weird things.

Still, one didn't just agree to something like that without needing a little bit of information.

"You know May? The champion who went missing?" I asked, and Lyra nodded.

"Yeah, I heard something about that. It's been all over our news, too."

"This is really secret information, okay? She left behind some letters in all of the regions throughout the country. I've been all over trying to get all of them to find her. She gave a hint saying that the next letter was on the roof of the Silph Co. building… so, here I am. Sounds a little weird, I know, but…" I shrugged, and Nate nodded emphatically beside me.

Lyra waved me off, a smile back on her face. "No worries. I hear you. Isn't the strangest thing to have happened," she said happily, and I frowned. She certainly accepted that quickly. "Well, you better get going, then, Steven. We'll be waiting right out here, right… uh, Nate, is it?" She looked at the crazy-haired kid, who resembled a bobble head more than anything now.

I waved, walking inside the building. I flashed the VIP badge at the woman behind the counter, a pretty young woman with a short bob of pure black hair. Her dress suit was pressed much more nicely than my suit now, and I realized that I probably didn't look all that much like a VIP after all my traveling. She didn't ask any questions, however, but waved me through without so much as a glance over. So much for beefed up security.

Hopping on the elevator, which an older man with a deeply receding hairline had just gotten on, I pressed the button for the top floor. The man got off on the third floor, which was actually kind of a relief. I felt like I was doing something illegal for some reason. And the less witnesses there were, the better.

When the elevator finally reached the top floor, I walked off in what I thought was a completely normal way. But one of the men who happened to be walking by stopped and stared at me, and I smiled and waved my VIP badge at him. He continued to stare at me as I walked away, disappearing around a corner and into the nearest bathroom.

What the hell was wrong with me? I wasn't doing anything wrong…

Composing myself, I headed back out of the bathroom and found the stairs to the roof. The Silph Co. building was probably nicer than my dad's building, with carpeted floor and consistently painted walls. Even the emergency stair case to the roof, which in the Devon Corp building was just cement, was carpeted. The people in Kanto didn't mess around.

Cool air hit me as I opened the door to the roof. The sun had completely set now, but the city was still lit by the many buildings around this one. There was an orange hue to the sky, and a spotlight kept flitting back and forth across it. The noise of the city below didn't quite reach this high, so despite knowing that people were still running around and—most likely—partying below me, it was eerily quiet.

The first thing I noticed when I glanced around the enormous roof was a partially covered area, low to the ground and seemingly incomplete. It looked as if it was meant to be a shaded bench area, but the Silph Co. president must have given up on it realizing that no one ever came up here. But it was the perfect place to hide a letter.

When I reached under it, however, my hand didn't touch the familiar envelope. Instead, a plastic bag crinkled under my touch, and I grabbed it and pulled it out from under the half-finished alcove. The bag had been tied shut, and there was something weighty in it. But through the thin protective layer, I could see May's letter.

Untying the bag, I removed the contents and set them on the bench. There was a fifty-page sketchpad, a couple of sharpened pencils, a pencil sharpener, and the envelope.

What the hell?

I went for the letter first. Ripping the envelope open, I pulled the letter from its casing.

_Dear Adventurer,_

_Welcome to Kanto! Don't worry—it's a lot warmer here than it is in Sinnoh. I'm sure that, at the very least, is reassuring._

_Did you know that I'm not the first champion to leave? Red, the silent hero from Kanto, also fled the spotlight for a little while. I wouldn't necessarily say that he is the inspiration for this game, but it's just a bit of trivia that you might want to know. He just went to train on a mountain, though. Two champions after him, Lyra, found him. Needless to say, I'm not exactly training right now as you read this letter._

_Saffron is a huge city, as I am sure you have noticed. There are a lot of venders on the streets, and sometimes you can pick up some really cool things! If you can, go shop a little. It's nice to give back to some locals, anyway. I've heard that the ramen at the Saffron Ramen Shop is the best in the whole country. I would check it out if I were you. I've never tried it, but I have some reliable sources (also known as the Internet)._

_Enough about that. Let's get to the interesting part of this letter!_

_The task I have picked out for you is a little strange compared to some of the other tasks. It requires a certain… persistence, we'll say. If you're anything like me, you don't have a single artistic bone in your body. If you're the opposite of me, then lucky you. But this task asks you to draw—not necessarily well. I'm not expecting a magnum opus here. I'm only asking that you try._

_I've provided you with a pad of sketch paper and a couple of pencils. Set up somewhere in Saffron. It doesn't matter where, just someplace that lots of people pass through. I want you to offer to draw people for free. I know this sounds like you have to be a talented artist, but you don't. The only thing I ask is that you draw them how you see them. Draw your very first impression of them._

_Still sounds weird, right? I think you'll understand once you get some customers._

_Your next letter is in the back of the sketchpad. Don't open it until you're all done drawing. That's really up to you—just try to draw as many people as possible._

_Good luck, and have fun!_

_Sincerely,_

_May_

Again… what the hell?

Well, I happened to be a lot like her—I was a pretty crappy artist. It was a little embarrassing. I could barely draw a straight line when I had a ruler, never mind drawing _people_. Stick figures were even too much for me. So, what was she expecting exactly? I would probably insult people if I tried to draw them.

Hell, they'd probably pay me _not_ to draw them.

I flipped through the sketchpad, and sure enough, there was another envelope taped to the cardboard backing. I sighed, letting the pages fall back against it. She really had no clue what she was asking of me. If this was just a task to make fun of me, then I wouldn't at all be surprised. This was going to be a nightmare.

Holding the sketchpad under my arm, I headed back off the roof and into the elevator again. This time, the elevator made several stops, and it was packed with people by the time we got to the ground floor. Only one woman, who looked pretty official in her security guard uniform, asked me who I was and needed to see my badge. I didn't give more details than necessary, just flashed the badge and gave my name.

When I made it back outside, Lyra and Nate were sitting—awfully close—on the bench across from the building. Lyra had just laughed at something Nate said when I walked over, and she was still giggling when she looked up at me. Nate was smiling, clearly proud of himself, but I was happy to see that he was genuinely in a good mood.

"Hey, Steven, got it?" Lyra asked, still bubbling with laughter. She glanced back at Nate, not noticing when I nodded. When she looked at me again, she pointed to the sketchpad under my arm. "What's that?"

"She wants me to draw people," I said solemnly, and Nate burst out laughing. His faith in me was astounding. "I'm going to set up somewhere in the city tomorrow morning, I guess, and draw people for free. I'm not sure exactly what she's going for, but I'm just going to get it over with as quickly as possible. The sooner we get to Johto, the better."

Lyra perked up at this, serious once again. "Johto?"

I nodded. "That's the last place. Anyway," I looked over at the clock on one of the nearby buildings, "thanks for your help, Lyra. I'm kind of bushed, so I think I'm just going to head to a Pokémon Center and call it a night. I'm really grateful for your help."

Passing the badge back to her, she nodded and smiled. "Nah, it was nice to see you. And nice meeting you, too, Nate." She held her hand out, and we both took turns shaking it. Then, bouncing to her feet, she gave her little one-two wave. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call. Let's not make it two years before hanging out again!"

Her smile was definitely contagious. As she walked away, glancing back only once at us, I sighed and looked at Nate. He was still watching her even as she faded into the crowd, hidden between the other people walking the streets.

"Have fun?" I asked.

Nate grinned at me, waving a tiny piece of paper with a glint in his eyes that seemed highly suspicious to me. When I reached out and grabbed the paper from him, he crossed his arms smugly, clearly very proud of the contents of the paper. I narrowed my eyes at him before glancing down at the paper to see Lyra's name and number on it.

I rolled my eyes, shoving the piece of paper back into Nate's hands. "Really? You've got to be kidding me."

He just chuckled darkly in response, as if this was some massive conquering or something, and I shoved him with a smile. True to form, at least.

We had just started walking towards the Pokémon Center when I heard my name being called over the hustle and bustle of the city. I didn't think I heard anything at first, thought it was just my ears tricking me, but when it burst out a second time, I turned on my heel. Lyra ran towards us waving her hands above her head, an excited smile on her lips.

"S-sorry," she said when she made it to us, leaning against her knees and taking the moment to catch her breath. When she looked back up at us, she squinted and smiled. Her eyes flashed once to Nate's, but then they were back on me. "If you're going to Johto next, anyway, then you might need me. What do you say?"

She held her hand out for the second time in minutes, still leaning one against her knee. I glanced at Nate, who glanced at me, and we both nodded. I grasped her hand, never expecting to take on this many new comrades, and she pulled herself straight again.

I didn't know when this turned into a team effort—much against May's wishes—but I was okay with it. For the first time in a long time, I had friends. And if they were going to offer it, who was I to turn them away?

* * *

**Author's Note:** Um, so I don't have any more news on my books yet because I updated too quickly, hehe. But I suppose that's not a bad thing.

This chapter is actually the first time that Steven has referred to Nate as his friend. He's obviously not the most outgoing person in the world, so I like to think it's a big step for him. And he is definitely in better spirits in this chapter. Yay!

So… this new task… hope you're looking forward to it!


	18. Magnum Opus

**Chapter Seventeen – Magnum Opus**

This was so awkward.

It would be one thing if I was actually an artist and, you know, actually knew how to draw, but I was setting myself up for disaster. May really had no idea what she was asking of me. She may have been looking for a hero, but I didn't realize that one of her qualification was to be a talented artist, too. I didn't have that listed on my résumé.

Ha, that was it. Instead of doing all this stuff, May should have just put a job listing in the newspaper and looked for the most qualified person to be her hero. She wouldn't have had to deal with writing all those letters, wouldn't have had to hide them all over creation. Hell, my life would have been a lot easier that way.

_But that would defeat the purpose_. That was what she would say, anyway. Damn…

And what was I supposed to do with this? I had set up two chairs on the sidewalk—which, frankly, I didn't even know if that was legal—and was currently sitting in one of them waiting for customers. What did other venders do? People always seemed to just walk up to them. Somehow, I didn't see that working for me.

Man. Give me movie premieres any day.

A couple of people walked by without even glancing over at me. Groups of people would look over at me and laugh, and most people walking by themselves in my direction avoided even looked at me. I sighed, watching the people come and go without any luck. Unfortunately, I knew what that meant. I would actually have to ask people.

"Um," I began as an older gentleman walked by, but he raised his hand at me and kept walking. I tapped the pencil I was holding against the sketchpad, a constant _tap, tap, tap_ to temporarily distract me. I awkwardly mumbled at people as they walked by, but everyone kept walking. What did it take to get these people?

Finally, I saw a woman walking slowly in my direction. Well, not my direction exactly, but she was heading down this way. She had her head low, staring at the ground instead of ahead of her, and I smiled. This had to be it. She had to be the first one.

"Ma'am… ma'am, excuse me," I said, waving a hand in front of the woman when she got close enough, and she slowed to a stop in front of me. I held up my sketchpad, as if this explained things, and she raised her eyebrows. "I'm offering free portraits today only. Are you interested in sitting for a quick sketch? It shouldn't take long."

She looked annoyed. Her lips were pursed, her eyebrows knitted together, and when she put a hand on her hip, I actually thought she might give me a stern talking to for bothering her. At the very least, she was going to say no. I didn't know how _real_ artists actually went about doing this, never mind vendors—did people just flock to them and ask to be drawn? How did you market something like this?

But her face softened as that first second passed, and she nodded, sitting down in the chair opposite mine. "Yes, all right. Are you any good?" she asked. Her voice was airy, light, not at all the voice I expected to come out of her. And when she smiled at me, though probably forced, I was immediately aware of how beautiful she was. She was older, probably around Cynthia's age, but she was still pretty hot.

"Uh," I responded dumbly, opening the sketchpad and pressing the tip of my pencil to the page. "I guess we'll find out."

I wasn't sure exactly what to do. May said to draw what I saw—to draw my first impression of this woman. But my first impression was that she was a bitch, that she was mean and annoyed by me. I didn't know anything about her, though. She seemed nice enough now. Maybe she had had a rough morning. I didn't know.

I didn't know…

Was it really that simple? Was this all May wanted me to see?

My very first impression of this woman was wrong—or at least contradictory compared to after. And the way she sat there smiling, with her brown hair pushed behind her ear and her dimples deep in her cheeks, she seemed so nice. It was strange to think that she had such an annoyed expression only moments ago.

How could I draw my first impression of her when my second was so much better?

So, I put my pencil to work, pretending like I knew what I was doing as I drew. But about halfway through drawing the circle for her face, I thought, _Screw it_. It would only be insulting if I even attempted to recreate her on the page. She was beautiful. To make a good effort and fail to illustrate that beauty would only make her second guess that.

It only took me another second or two to put the finishing touches on the drawing. I ripped the page out of the sketchpad and handed it across to her. As soon as she looked at it, she burst out laughing, becoming so hysterical that tears bubbled in the corner of her eyes. I couldn't help laughing alongside her.

"It's a stick figure," she said when she got a hold of herself. It wasn't accusatory, as though I had tricked her, but just a statement. And sure enough, it was. A circle with a (relatively) straight line protruding from it and a couple extras for arms and legs. At least I added a smile and eyes. And hair. "I guess that's why you're giving them out for free."

"Yeah, I'm not an artist," I confessed as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Oh, I can tell." She laughed quickly again and stared down at the page, running her fingers over the paper. I knew she wasn't trying to insult me by agreeing—after all, it was a pretty pathetic drawing. "Listen, I have to thank you. I needed a good laugh today. My boss just slammed a ton of work on me all at once, and I've been in a bad mood the whole morning. I may have to get this framed… just so I can have a good laugh every now and again."

She held out her hand towards me, and I gave her a few quick pumps before she retracted it. "You've got such a pretty smile. I hope you keep it," I told her with a smile, although the opposite occurred. She stared at me with her mouth open in an O, her cheeks flushed red. Then, without skipping a beat, she cleared her throat and nodded, a smile right back.

"Thank you. Hope you get lots of customers!" She stood up, throwing her purse over her shoulder and waving quickly. She turned on her heel and disappeared into the crowd, her brown hair the last thing I saw before she turned a corner.

A long and low whistle blew from somewhere behind me, and I turned in my chair to look at Nate, who was sitting against the wall behind my chair. Lyra was on her PokéGear beside him, but she looked up as Nate whistled, clearly amused. The two of them were a rotten pair—if only because I knew they would gang up on me if given the chance.

"I had no idea," Nate said coolly, "that you had such good moves with the ladies. 'Oh, keep your smile, you're so pretty.'" His voice rose several octaves, which didn't make much sense since he was trying to imitate me. "And you say I'm bad. You've been holding back the whole time, haven't you, Stevie? I'm offended."

"I thought it was sweet," Lyra said, smiling up at me.

"Of course you did," Nate muttered bitterly, and she elbowed him.

Considering the two of them had just met twelve hours ago, they were getting along as if they had known each other for years. To be honest, Nate sort of had that effect on people. Even I felt really comfortable with Nate, and I hadn't known him that long, either. And it took me quite a bit to feel comfortable around people.

"Hey, customer, customer!" Lyra exclaimed, pointing at a man walking our way. He was dressed in a perfectly pressed suit, so clean that it probably could have been new. He was older, though, with graying hair around his ears. With his briefcase clutched tightly in his hand, he was clearly some sort of business man. And his expression was so stern that he probably took it really seriously. He was probably an employee of Silph Co., as many in this city were. Either way, he didn't seem like he would want to be bothered by me.

But I jumped off my chair and crossed his path, anyway, and he slowed to a stop in front of me. "Are you interested in a free self-portrait?" I asked him, and he raised his eyebrows. I pegged him for the type of man who wouldn't want to waste his time with this, but the lady had said yes. "They're free today only, and it only takes a couple of minutes."

And, as if the world just liked proving me wrong today, he nodded. "If it's free, why not?" he responded, sitting down on the chair. I sat back down, as well, flipping the sketchpad back open and looking at the man. He smiled now, definitely faker than the woman's smile had been, and I frowned.

"My daughter will like this," he told me, and I pretended to draw. In actuality, I was just making the same circle over and over. This story would be far more interesting than any drawing I could make. "I missed her dance recital last night because I had to work late. But if I don't work, then we don't eat. It gets kind of tough sometimes."

I raised my eyebrows. In spite of his shiny suit, taken care of so well, he was still struggling financially? And when I looked up at him again, his face had softened, as if the thought of his daughter alone made him a bit happier. It made me wonder what being a parent was like—if he was so disappointed by the fact that he couldn't be there for her, but still so happy just thinking of her… how proud he was.

"How old is she?" I asked, just to get him to keep talking about his daughter.

"Seven. Cutest little thing you've ever seen." He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a wallet, and he slipped something out of it. When he handed it across to me, I grabbed it carefully in my hands.

She was cute. Her hair, so unlike his, was long and bright red. Her cheeks were chubby, her face completely round. She looked happy, genuinely so despite the typical fakeness of pictures, which only seemed even more impressive considering he mentioned his family's struggles. If she could be happy, maybe that was all he needed.

"That's a nice picture," I told him, handing it back to him. Then, I got back to my own picture, and he sat quietly as I finished it.

When I was done, I ripped it out of the book and passed it to him. When he looked down at him, he raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked back up at me. His eyes flickered back and forth a couple of times, and then he grinned. "This is really bad," he told me, and I nodded. "But I really like it. Not quite a self-portrait, though."

He showed it to me, as if I hadn't seen it while drawing it. He was right, though. Instead of just one stick figure this time, I had two, one about half the height of the other. The taller stick figure didn't have any hair, just a smile and eyes. The shorter stick figure had long hair, and her legs had been connected to make a little skirt.

Maybe it didn't look a lot like them, but he could tell who it was.

"Eh, creative liberties," I responded, as if that actually explained anything. Did I really know what that meant? Not really. But it sounded legitimate. "Your daughter looks like a very happy little girl. If you think that you're disappointing her, don't. I'm sure she's proud of you—so, do what you have to do, okay?"

The man nodded, standing up from the stool and holding the picture carefully in one hand. "Are you a therapist or something?" he asked curiously, and I laughed.

It went on like that for hours. People came and went from my chair, most of whom laughed when they saw my horrible stick figures. And most of them weren't at all like I expected them to be. One old man looked strong and able, but he told me that he had terminal cancer and wasn't going to live to the end of the year. Another woman insisted that I take her money, even though she looked like she could barely get by—apparently, though, she was a talented lawyer and preferred to be comfortable rather than look good, and she had a lot of money. When she saw my drawing, she took it for free.

And then, of course, there was the young woman who was smiling the whole way down the sidewalk, and when I asked her if she wanted a picture, she hastily agreed. But the second I finished the drawing and handed it to her, she burst into tears. Her sister had just died, she told me, and she was trying so hard to be happy. Seeing that smiling stick figure only reassured her of how sad she really was.

There were all sorts of people from all walks of life. I had no idea who these people were or why they trusted me, a random stranger, well enough to share their stories, but I loved it. I _enjoyed _hearing where these people came from, their life struggles, all of it. There was something really empowering about it. But, at the same time, it was humbling.

I should have expected this all along, though. When I thought about May and everything I had thought I knew about her prior to this game, I realized that she was just emphasizing what I should have none: first impressions meant nothing in this world, and yet we based _everything_ we knew about people on them. In job interviews, you have to dress to impress. You have to nail it on your first go. But why? Did they really know anything about you?

And what about Nate? I thought he was an entitled brat at first. But he was trying _so hard_, pushing himself to be happy and funny and nice. And I truly believed that he was all of those things—but at the same time, he was still hurt by everything that had happened to him. My first impression of him, too, had been wrong.

So, I should have known. All of this should have been obvious to me.

There were, of course, people who matched my very first impressions of them. Some people told me more than others. Some didn't say anything. Some handed my drawing back to me after seeing how bad it was. It didn't really bother me. Everyone was different, and that was the amazing thing about it.

I had to wonder if May knew what would happen by asking me to do this task. Was it her intention for me to realize that first impressions weren't always right? Or had she expected me to notice something else? She wasn't one to spell it out so clearly, as obvious by her previous letters and this game in general.

After several hours of sitting outside, with a couple of coffee and bathroom breaks in between, I finally handed off the last drawing. Lyra and Nate were still sitting behind me watching, and as soon as the customer vanished, they both jumped to their feet and threw their arms around me. I coughed, laughing in between fits, and they let go.

"Our artist!" Lyra exclaimed while Nate smacked me on the back.

"I wonder how many people tossed your drawings in the trash once they got around the corner there," Nate said, and I shot him a look. Lyra, who I would have thought would stick up for me, couldn't hide her smile. "Only kidding, only kidding. You probably draw stick figures better than I do now."

"Now?" I repeated.

"Why don't you read the letter?" Lyra pointed to the envelope, the only thing left in my now-thin sketchpad.

Her hasty transition was enough for me. I grabbed the envelope and opened it up, unfolding May's latest letter. I hoped there wasn't anything too personal in here, considering Nate and Lyra were now reading over my shoulder. I had always been the first one to read her letters—it made me a little self-conscious knowing they were following along. At least it was a short one.

_Dear Adventurer,_

_Did you create your magnum opus tonight? That's sort of a sad thought when you really consider it… that you create your best piece ever at some point and then never get any better. That you've reached your peak, and things will only go downhill from there. The best advice I can give you is to think that you've never created your magnum opus—that you've never done your best. That way you keep getting better._

_Anyway, I hope you had a good time with this task. I think some of the other tasks that I have set out for you have been a little daunting or depressing, so it's nice to have something a bit more lighthearted every now and again. Especially since I promised culture when I first began writing letters. Saffron is a good place to get a look into the culture of Kanto._

_Do you remember my very first letter? I told you that this would not be an easy adventure, and that this would be well worth your while. How do you feel now? Has it been hard for you? Do you think it has been worth your while? Do you regret anything about this?_

_Do you regret the things you have done? My tasks?_

_And do you remember when I compared myself to Icarus? I assumed you knew the story. Allow me to elaborate in an abridged version. Icarus had wings made out of wax by his father, who warned him not to fly too close to the sun. Overestimating his abilities, and being far too prideful, Icarus ignored his father's warning and flew too close to the sun. The wings melted, and he fell into the sea and drowned._

_Happy story, right? But it is a warning about hubris and the exaggeration of one's abilities. However, I think there is something to be said for both. If someone tells you that you've done something well, what do you usually do? You shoot them down, right? "Oh, no, it's really not that good." Something like that. Why can't we accept it? Why is it so hard to be proud of ourselves? It's good to be humble, but it's not good to underestimate yourself, either._

_Don't let yourself think that you've done your best yet, but be proud of what you've already achieved. Keep. Getting. Better._

_Clue #7: You drew your drawing. Go add some colors on your pallet. I've always liked the color red, even if green is my favorite._

_Sincerely,_

_May_

"If anything, she's inspirational," Lyra commented once we all looked up after finishing reading it. I nodded, and Nate hummed in agreement. "The girl's got a way with words. I think it's a great idea to keep thinking that you've never done your best. Maybe it's disappointing at the time, but every time you get better, it's kind of nice."

"Always better but never the best," Nate said, rubbing his chin. The only problem with that was that the best was unattainable. If that was the case, then what was the point in trying? No, that was why May mentioned Icarus again. We tried because we were proud of what we had done, even if it wasn't the best.

As for regrets… if she had asked this at the beginning, I would say that I absolutely regretted starting this whole thing. Even if she asked a few letters ago. But now, after all of this, how could I say that? After seeing the things I have seen, after meeting the people I've met, after traveling the whole country? How could I regret any of it?

"That clue goes to Pallet Town." Lyra jabbed at the page with her finger, her voice as firm as her pointer. "No doubt about it. She mentions it right in the clue. And that's where Red is from—the red in the clue probably refers to him. Quiet little village… but it was kind of torn asunder when he returned home after I found him. Lots of people wanted to talk to him."

Well, that was—unfortunately—no surprise. Kanto's champion had been missing for three years, after all, and even though they had been pretty relaxed about it, it had to be big news when he returned. Everyone probably wanted to know where he went and why he left. Maybe it was more peaceful being alone.

In which case, finding May would only bring her back to where she left off if she was alive, perhaps worse. Everyone would want to know why she left, too, and there was her movie to deal with, too. She would have a lot to deal with when she returned, and I knew that was the last thing she wanted. It would be as if nothing changed.

I would do everything in my power to stop that. She would always be safe with me.

"What if we talked to him, too? Do you think he would mind?" I asked Lyra, and she smiled. There was something a little weird about it, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.

"I'm his friend. He won't mind," she assured me anyway.

As we grabbed the chairs to return them, Nate and Lyra walked ahead, chatting back and forth without me, I kept my eyes on the back of Lyra's head. I wondered if, just maybe, she had something that she regretted—if, just maybe, she thought she already reached her peak and wouldn't be able to go any further.

And I wondered if, just maybe, May wrote exactly what she needed to read.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Gosh—now Red is being dragged into the game? So many champions in one fanfic. Champion overload. But allow me to make one note before we get too excited, here: he will not be joining the team.

What'd you think of May's task this time? As weird as you feared it might be, hehe?

I saw a pretty inspirational video once of this artist who had these women (and men, too, I think, but I can't remember) describe themselves to him, and he would draw them based on their descriptions. They usually made themselves out to be a lot uglier than they actually were. Really showed how low self-esteem affects the image of a person. This is pretty different than that, but I wanted to share that with everyone. Anyone seen that video?


	19. Dreams of Young

**Chapter Eighteen – Dreams of Young**

Well, Pallet Town didn't exactly _look_ like it had been torn asunder as Lyra said it had. It was a cute little town with a few houses and a lot of open space, the grass green and the flowers in full bloom. It was actually a nice transition from Saffron. But when Lyra said it was torn asunder, I sort of figured that she meant that literally. I hadn't been expecting, well, perfection.

"That's Professor Oak's lab. You know, the famous Pokémon professor? He's absolutely brilliant. I got my Pokédex from him when I first started training," Lyra said, pointing to the biggest building in the town, a two-story laboratory with an expansive field in the back. From what I had heard, Professor Oak was a genius of unparalleled talent. The best professors around the world could only hope to be like him someday.

And to get a Pokédex from him was an honor. I didn't even have one. May had gotten hers from Professor Birch, who was definitely talented, but Lyra and Red had been given a special privilege—not to mention Blue Oak, the lucky son of a bitch who was Oak's grandson. They had been given something special.

I had heard, though, that Blue Oak had a bit of an attitude problem. I didn't know a lot about the kid, but I did know that he had Red were childhood friends turned rivals. Blue became the champion right before Red, and Red defeated him and took the title less than a week after Blue got it. He eventually went on to become the strongest gym leader in Kanto, apparently, but he was very rarely _in_ his gym.

Red, while apparently nicer, wasn't much more sociable. Considering that he spent three years up on a mountain all by himself, that wasn't a huge shocker. But I wondered if these things I had heard were true—that had been the point of May's last task, after all. Everything I thought I knew about these Kanto champions could be wrong.

"And there's Red's house. Well, technically it's his mom's house. He doesn't live there anymore." Lyra pointed to a quaint little house just down the road in the other direction from Oak's lab. When Nate and I shot her horrified looks—she brought us all the way here, and he didn't even live in Pallet anymore?—she waved her hands innocently. "Sorry, sorry. He lives in that house now. Should have said that first."

The house she gestured to now was smaller, a little one-floor abode that reminded me of my dad's house. It was just two houses down from his mom's, but in Pallet, that was pretty far away. I had to look in one direction to see his mom's house and look in the other to see his. This was definitely the most _rural_ town I had ever seen…

"Should we have, er, called him first? What if he's not home?" Nate asked, which I thought was strangely considerate of him. Maybe he saved his sass for me.

"Oh, he's home, trust me," Lyra said, as if this would actually convince us that Red would be there. Nate, as smitten as he was, nodded enthusiastically, and I rolled my eyes. It was more realistic to doubt her just a little bit, especially with that weird smile I noticed earlier. She was hiding something from us for sure.

But we came here to talk to him, so I had to at least hope that he was there. Sure enough, when we walked down the road and knocked on his door, it opened for us. To say it was awkward was probably an understatement. We stood in silence facing each other for several very long seconds, but the tension was clearly between Lyra and Red.

Had I seen him on the streets, I probably wouldn't have recognized him. His hat cast a shadow over his eyes, his face stoic beneath it, but even through the darkness, I could tell that he was staring right at Lyra. Unlike the other champions I had met, Red didn't seem nearly as enthusiastic. Compared to Nate, though, who really was?

"Lyra," he finally said slowly, as if he was just a little unsure that it was actually her. His eyes finally flickered away from her to Nate and me. "And… Nate from Unova… and Steven from Hoenn. Am I right?"

Lyra didn't let either of us respond. Instead, she stepped forward, halfway in Red's threshold, and the Kanto champion took a step back. "We have some questions for you. Well, _Steven_ has some questions for you. He's the one who suggested that we come talk to you," she said, obviously throwing me under the bus. Red shot me a look, but it was hard to tell if it was hostile with the whole hat-situation.

"Uh…" I smiled at him, holding out my hand, but when he didn't take it, I dropped it back to my side. "Well, I actually… you see, there's been some… my friend, May—"

"Friend?" Nate repeated, and when I glanced over at him, he rolled his eyes. "Look, Red, his one-and-only-true-love disappeared off the face of the earth, leaving letters behind with crazy tasks and hints to find the next letters and eventually, hopefully, her. Seeing as you vanished without a trace for three years, you totally understand why he wants to chat, yes?"

"_Nate_." I rubbed my hand against my brow, fighting off the urge to smack Nate, and took a few deep breaths. When Red didn't say anything—how could anyone respond to that, anyway?—I elaborated. "That's actually not what I wanted to ask you about. The reasons why you and May both left have to be extremely personal, and it's not my place to ask you about it when I don't even know you. I wanted to ask you about something else. Actually… I wanted to ask _all_ of you about something else."

Lyra's gaze shot to mine, her eyes wide. Even Nate looked at me like I was a little bit crazy. It would seem, yes, that I would have wanted to ask Red about why he left. But it didn't really matter anymore. May was gone, and that was that. I couldn't change that anymore. If I had the chance, though, I could change something else.

The three of them—no, the four including May—all shared something in common. It wasn't necessarily that they were all champions; I was, too. It was something else: they were all faking something.

I asked Nate about it once after his blow up back in Lacunosa, but I wasn't entirely satisfied with his response alone. Why them? Why were Nate and Lyra and Red and _May_ the ones who changed, not me or Cynthia or Alder or any of the other champions? Why did _they_ suffer? Why were they the ones to lose it all when they gained everything?

I had to know. I wouldn't be satisfied with this game until I did.

"I want to ask all of you about your experiences as champions—your life after you got the title, everything that happened to you along the way," I told them, and all three of them, whether they realized it or not, shifted uncomfortably, as if their feet suddenly hurt. I could see Red's grip on the edge of his door tighten, and for a second I thought he might close it on us. It _was_ a lot to ask of them.

But he opened it wider, holding his hand out and gesturing for us to come inside his house. It was, in a word, quaint. The kitchen, living room, and dining room all fit within this first room, though it was pretty spacious all things considered. There was a short hallway veering off from the room, a door at the end of it and a couple on the sides. It really did remind me of my dad's house.

"Let me get some tea. Make yourselves at home," Red said quietly, and I was fairly certain that he actually just wanted to get out of this mess for a bit, to push this off as long as possible.

Of course, since the kitchen was in the same room, he didn't really get very far.

I took a seat on one of the chairs, and Nate and Lyra sat down on Red's long couch, positioned close to each other but not touching. There was intentional distance between them, just inches, and I smiled at them—not that they noticed. Now they were both avoiding looking at me, as well as each other, instead glancing around the rather-plain room as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

After a couple of minutes of clanging, Red finally gathered a kettle of tea and several cups on a tray and walked back towards us, placing the tray down on his coffee table. He poured the tea into the cups and handed one off to each of us, and we muttered our thanks as we sipped the hot liquid. Finally, when they were all passed out, Red sat down beside Lyra.

"So, I realize this may be—"

"I'll start," Lyra said quickly, apparently surprised by her own announcement. She blushed, staring at the cup in her hands, and twirled one of her pigtails around her fingers. "You just want to know about what happened after I became the champion, right? Well, I think I should start a little bit before that, if that's okay with you."

When I nodded, she sighed, breathing in and out a couple of times before nodding—as if she needed to assure herself that she could do this. Red crossed his arms, leaning back against his couch and letting his hat cast a deeper shadow over his eyes. I was sure that he knew his name would come up. Even I knew that.

"Three years before I left home, a powerful trainer named Red stopped Team Rocket and became the Indigo League Champion," she started, and I raised my eyebrows. I didn't realize quite how quickly his name would pop up. "And three years after he did that, Team Rocket reformed, and I was the one who stopped them.

"But it didn't matter that _I_ did it." Lyra's grip on her teacup tightened, and I reached forward to take it from her in fear of it shattering. "Everywhere I went, everyone always told me about how _great_ Red was, how he stopped Team Rocket and saved Kanto, how I reminded them of him. So, I vowed that I would defeat him if it was the last thing I did."

Red didn't look at all surprised by any of this. Despite Lyra's assurance that Red was her friend earlier, it seemed that her animosity towards him overpowered any feeling of cordiality. But he didn't rise from the couch, didn't excuse himself, and he didn't appear bothered by any means. He just watched her while she spoke, and she avoided looking his way like he was something poisonous.

"I defeated the Elite Four and Lance and became the new Indigo League Champion. But that wasn't good enough for me." Lyra smiled, though it was slightly malicious, not at all like her sweet smiles earlier. "Red defeated the Kanto league, not the Johto league. If I wanted to be better than him, I needed to face what he faced. So, I went to Kanto, too, and I defeated all of the gym leaders there. That had to make me better than him, I figured."

"But…" I said, knowing there had to be one there.

"I wasn't going to be satisfied until I defeated him for him. The only problem was that he was missing. I was finally stronger than him, and he wasn't even around to see it. I realize… my hatred for him was a little unfounded. I had never even met him. But I needed to prove it to myself that I was worth something." Lyra picked up her cup again, taking a sip of the tea before placing it back down on the table. It was weird that we were talking about Red as if he wasn't sitting right there, but he really didn't seem to mind.

"So, I searched all over for him. I traveled all around Kanto looking for him—when he was in Johto all along. The first thing I did when I found him on Mt. Silver's summit was challenge him to a battle, and I won… but it didn't make me feel anything at all," she whispered, her voice breaking. Tears built up in the corners of her eyes, and when she blinked, they dripped slowly down her cheeks. "I thought I would be happy, but I wasn't. I was angry with myself… I spent so much time trying to be better than Red, and I was… but what was left for me then? That had been my goal for years. So, in the end, I was worth nothing because I had nothing left."

She buried her face in her hands, and for a moment, both Red and Nate—and me, too, probably—looked panicked. They sat up a little straighter, and Nate shifted awkwardly, perhaps wondering if it was okay to touch her. I shook my head, knowing that we ought to let her be, but Nate put a hand on her shoulder anyway.

And she looked up at him, leaving her hands in her lap. She smiled, not quite the enthusiastic grin that I knew before, but it was a start.

"That's why," Lyra continued, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands, "I thought what May said was really great. I sort of thought that I had done all that I could—that I hit my peak and wouldn't go anywhere else. But there's still more out there. I mean… I'm here with you guys, aren't I? That's a start."

I nodded, smiling reassuringly at her. Well, her story was a lot different than May's—even what I knew about Nate's—but she still felt pain like the rest of them. And I got it. I really did. She felt the pressure of an amazing predecessor on her shoulders even before she became champion, and it haunted her all the way through. I could understand that pain even if I hadn't felt it firsthand. It was a heavy burden to carry all that weight.

And I knew that their stories would all be different, albeit with similar themes. They all became champions young, much like I did, but I also grew up knowing what it was like to be famous—not because I was, but because my dad was. Maybe it was different fame… but I saw the way my dad handled it. I also decided at a very young age that I had no plans to take over Devon Corp. once my father retired, so I had no pressure on me to follow in his footsteps.

I wondered, though, if this pain was subjected just to these kids… these young champions. Or did we glamorize happiness so much that we completely ignored pain altogether?

"Thanks for sharing that with us, Lyra," I said, and she nodded. "It takes guts to admit something like that."

"Oh, if there's one thing I have, it's guts," she joked, wiping some more tears from her eyes. She bubbled awkwardly with laughter, and I grinned. She would be just fine.

Red, on the other hand, finally looked uncomfortable again, and he raised his hands like a schoolboy who knew the answer but didn't want to be the first. When I nodded at him, he lowered his hand to his lap, avoiding my gaze once more by hiding beneath his hat. Lyra looked at him without animosity this time, her expression placid.

"If I had known that that had been what Lyra had to deal with… I would have come down sooner," he said slowly, unsurely, and she raised her eyebrows. He finally turned to look at her, and Nate and I practically faded out of the picture. "I'm sorry, Lyra. I am. So, I would love it if we could be friends, and I know that might take some time…"

She nodded, trying her best to keep her smile. "I think I'd like that."

He smiled at her for only a second before looking back at me and grimacing. "Let me share the other side of that story," he said, and I nodded. "I stopped Team Rocket three years before Lyra did, as she said, and I became the champion shortly after that. My popularity skyrocketed around that time. Coming from this small town, it was kind of a shock. All I ever wanted to do was train and raise Pokémon. Nothing else. So, when I realized that I had an obligation to stick around and make sure Kanto stayed safe, like some sort of superhero, I wanted out. I had dozens—hundreds even—of requests by the police to stop various criminal acts. But even if I had that obligation, I didn't feel it was one. So, I left."

The silent hero, the boy who apparently spoke so few words, was coming out of his shell. With every word, his face became more animated, his hat falling back slowly and revealing more of his eyes. This was my first time meeting him, of course, but even with this one speech, I felt that I knew him better.

"I went to train up on Mt. Silver. There's a Pokémon Center at the foot of the mountain at which I stayed during the night, so the mountain itself was my new home. I didn't tell anyone where I went, even my mom—even Professor Oak and Blue and my other friends. I didn't want to be found," Red explained, and Lyra rubbed her hands against her knees, her turn to be uncomfortable.

"So, when Lyra came up the mountain and challenged me, I figured, 'Hell, I'll just win this battle and move on, go somewhere else'. I had no intentions of losing that battle. After all of my training, there was no way that I could lose." He smiled at Lyra then, but she wasn't looking at him. "I did lose, obviously. And because I lost, I thought that all of that training had been a waste of my three years. I went home—if all of that training had failed, then any more would, too.

"When I went home, though, I was swarmed. Everyone wanted to know where I went, why I went there, why I wouldn't help Kanto when they were in need… it was awful. So, I moved into this house to protect my mom. Eventually all the hype over my reappearance died down, but…" He shrugged, nonchalant in spite of the obvious fact that he cared horribly. "I still haven't trained in years. I traded most of my team to Blue."

But, as if to prove something else, a squeak echoed through the room, and a Pikachu darted out of one of the other rooms through the hallway and into the living room/kitchen/dining room. It jumped up on top of the entertainment center and stared at us, its ears twitching, but it eventually decided we were no threat and closed its eyes.

"I guess I'm just warning you," Red continued, standing up and walking towards his Pikachu. He scratched it behind the ears, and the little yellow mouse cooed. "I'm not saying that you shouldn't go find May, but know that things won't be easy for her when she first returns. I'm sure her reasons for leaving were much different than mine, but the consequences will be the same when she comes back. Protect her, okay?"

Red lowered his hand from his Pikachu and turned back to look at us, and when I nodded, he smiled. He picked up his Pikachu under its arms and carried it back to the couch, sitting down with it in his lap.

I knew that I would have to be careful—I couldn't _not_ tell Jameson when I found May, and the rest of Hoenn would want to know, too. But why she left and all of that? It was her business, not theirs. And I would do everything in my power to make sure that she wasn't harassed. She would come back to normalcy.

Or as close to it as she could get.

Everyone looked at Nate now, and his cheeks turned rosy. Avoiding our gazes, he cleared his throat and stared at his cup of tea. "I guess it's my turn, huh?" he said, a slight awkward smile on his lips. He was usually so charismatic—it even felt weird for me. "Um, male, Virgo, twenty-one, and I like long walks on the beach?"

I smiled, and Lyra giggled beside him. "Very informative. But I'm not looking for a date."

"Aw, you're not?" Nate finally smiled for real, and we all took the moment to laugh. It was a good chance to break the tension that had set in the room, and even the air felt a bit easier to swallow once we all laughed a bit. "Okay, okay, I'll start for real this time. Well, as you all know, I'm a champion, too. Obviously." He choked a little on his last word, shaking his head and smiling awkwardly once more.

"Hey, it's okay," Lyra said, reaching over and squeezing his hand.

That seemed to give him a bit more energy. "Well, I, too, had to deal with following a previous champion's spotlight, but that didn't really bother me that much. While I was training, people would tell me that I reminded them of Hilda, but I thought that was kind cool—thought that that made me stronger or something. But the problems actually began when I started making movies."

Sometimes I forgot that Nate was an actor. It seemed sort of weird to think about that—he was, for the most part, really down-to-earth, and I typically assumed movie stars were ostentatious and entitled. Apparently my first impression of that whole group of people was wrong. If just one person broke the stereotype, then it wasn't true at all, right?

"I was just in a few cameo roles to start off. But when they realized that I was the rising star of the Unova league, they figured that my popularity as a trainer would help boost their market, too. So, I was cast in some lead roles—I filmed several movies all at once, and they all debuted around the same time that I stopped Ghetsis and became the champion. Needless to say, I pretty much became famous overnight, more so than I already was at that point," he told us, and Red's Pikachu bounced across their laps to him.

"I had filmed some more films, so they kept coming for awhile. And I always played the hero, never the villain, and since I stopped Ghetsis, too, people just sort of… hopped on that boat. Thought I was some big hero that I really wasn't." Nate scratched Pikachu's ears now, and the mouse flipped over to its back. "It started to get to me… I kept making movies, but I wanted—really wanted—to play a villain. I wanted to leave this good guy role behind me. But Stu wouldn't really have it…

"So, I took a hiatus from filming and, to distract myself and the media, I went to find Hilda. Her return temporarily took the spotlight off me, but… I mean, I kind of used her, didn't I? But I didn't, and still don't, feel bad for it." He smiled, something a little evil behind it, and I grimaced. "When I found you that day at the studios, Steven, I was planning on quitting—everything: my career as a movie star, being champion. But you provided me with the perfect exit. So, I kind of used you, too."

I wasn't the least bit upset—or even surprised. Remembering back to that first time I met Nate, he had been in pretty high spirits, as happy as any twenty-one-year-old should be, but maybe that was just because he was leaving everything behind soon. And when I entered the picture, he didn't even need an excuse anymore. He could just go.

What had he told me when I asked about him and May? _Because I don't want to feel the way May does—because I don't want to have to lie to do what I want to do—because I don't want to have to run away._

I—whether I realized it or not, and at the time, it was _not_—protected him from feeling like May.

"Use me all you need to," I told him, and he raised his eyebrows. "You're my friend. So if you _ever _need help, Nate, you just let me know."

Nate turned red again, and he brought his attention back to the Pikachu in his lap. Lifting it up, he passed it across Lyra to Red. There was movement within all three of them—these three champions… these three heroes… and for that second, as Pikachu passed between them, I saw May in all of them.

And I understood.

May was alive. Somewhere, at the end of all of this, she was waiting for someone else to be the hero, for someone else to take the punches. And somewhere, at the end of all of this, she was waiting for someone else to finally understand her, to finally bring her back from where she never should have been.

* * *

**Author's Note:** There should be an update on my books in the next chapter—I'm going to finish up my final stuff for that before I update again, so by the next update, I will have links up for information on my novels and stuff. Sound like a plan?

And, yep… Some background on the lives of the other champions! Too bad Red won't be joining, but I don't think Lyra is quite ready for that yet.


	20. The Reason Why

**Chapter Nineteen – The Reason Why**

Although Red asked us to join him for a meal, we politely declined and went on our way again. This was, perhaps, partially for Lyra's sanity, as I wasn't sure she wanted to be around Red any longer than she needed to be. While I believed her agreement with Red to try to be friends a true one, it was not going to be an instantaneous or easy thing. She needed to be away from him for a little while.

Of course, things were just a little bit awkward as we left his house, our feet all shuffling against the pavement as we walked in silence. There was still a letter to find here, and even though Red was mentioned in her previous letter, sort of indirectly, it was obvious that he didn't have it. So, we left and walked automatically along the road, none of us sure what was appropriate to say to each other now. It was better to give this some time to settle, too.

I wasn't sure why exactly, but I ended up at Red's old house—the other one that Lyra said his mother still owned. The lights were off inside, and I felt a little weird walking up to the house and waiting quietly outside the front door. Neither Nate nor Lyra said anything to me, asked what I was doing, but I knew they had to be confused.

No one answered the door when I knocked on it, and I sighed. I was so sure that Red's mom would have the letter. I didn't know what made me think that, but something about the clue… at the time that May would have written that letter, it was possible that Red hadn't yet moved from his mom's house yet. Had he even been found yet? I couldn't remember.

"Steven?" Nate finally said hesitantly, and I shook my head, turning around to face him. That was when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of white among the green of the flowers around the house.

Jumping into the bushes, I reached down and picked up an envelope that had been shoved inside a clear plastic bag. It was a little dirty, but it had to have been there for awhile. I wondered why Red's mom hadn't noticed it or, if she did, why she left it there. But, I realized… I had a feeling that May left instructions to keep it hidden there.

"Found it? How'd you know it would be here?" Lyra asked, and I shrugged. It was a lucky guess, maybe. A feeling, a hunch. If Red didn't have it himself, it would have to be somewhere else that was associated with him. So, in the end, it was obvious. How had I found any of the other letters? "Well, come on, don't keep us waiting. Open it up and read it, will you?"

I pulled the envelope, thicker than usual, out of the plastic bag, ripping it along the edge to make my way to the contents. Nate and Lyra took a seat on the steps of the house, waiting patiently for me to read the words on the page. May had written even more this time, her words so many that she had flipped the page over and written there, too.

But that wasn't it. There was another envelope inside, a blank piece of paper within it. Huh. What this time?

_Dear Adventurer, _

_Ah, my dear Adventurer… you are so close to being done. I have one final task for you in Johto before you have completed my game. Once you complete that task and find my final letter, it will be game over, and you will have won. You can return to the life you once knew, go back home to work or to play._

_Except, you must know by now, winning was never the point of my game._

_My goal in creating these tasks might be clear to you now. Maybe not. I'm assuming that you learned something by doing this. I told you that I wanted to find a hero. I bet you doubted yourself when I said that. I bet you said to yourself, "She's an idiot. I'm no hero, and I didn't ask for this. I just want to find her." Something like that, right?_

_You didn't get it then. But anyone can be a hero. I may have been looking for someone in particular—someone who could put up with me, someone worthy of this game—but I have been taking you away from the tasks that require "people with power" or whatever you want to call it. I asked you to spend time with someone. Anyone can do that. You could have saved a life or lives back then just by being with someone. I asked you to draw people. You could be the crappiest artist in the world, but I bet someone appreciated it._

_The first two were big moves: donating money to strangers, setting up donations to charity. Those require some planning. The latter two require nothing. You can just do them. I asked you to do it, you did it. Easy. And you could have changed lives._

_Anyone can do what you did. So, why don't we?_

_I was exploited, unable to keep going, which is why I needed you. Anything that I did was out there for the world to see. If your name gets attached to everything good you do, what's the point in continuing to do those good things just because you can? You now do it for a reward. And when those rewards stop coming, so do the good things. What does that teach us?_

_Doing good things should be the reward itself. Don't stop yet, Adventurer. Never stop._

_I saved Hoenn because that was the right thing to do. In return, I was made famous. And I hated being famous. I hated being exploited by the media, made to be this amazing souvenir—this national treasure. I never wanted to do a good thing again._

_Connecting the dots yet?_

_Here is your final task of the game: go to Goldenrod City in Johto. That is where my old house is—the house I grew up in before moving to Hoenn. My family was pretty normal back then. My dad wasn't a gym leader, I wasn't a champion. We were just… us._

_Go to my house. It's number 16 on Camp Road. Just take a moment and look around. See what I saw standing outside my house. When you're ready, take the piece of paper in the envelope I gave you, and the pencil that I assume you still have from my previous task, and write a letter to someone special to you. Write whatever you want. It's your letter, after all. You can worry about sending it later. For now, just write._

_When you're done, my final letter is waiting for you behind my old house. There is a loose brick in the road right behind it, and the letter is beneath it._

_Sincerely,_

_May_

I looked up at Nate and Lyra when I finished reading it, a little mesmerized by May's words etched out for us on the page. When Nate noticed my expression, he held his hand out, and I hesitantly passed it to him. The two other champions leaned together, eyes skimming across the page. Nate, who understood May's feelings so well, even seemed a little confused, and Lyra—who probably didn't have any idea what May was talking about since she never read the other letters—furrowed her eyebrows.

"She didn't want to do a good thing again… but wouldn't you say that everything that she has done in these letters—all that she has asked of you… wouldn't you say that it has been good?" Nate asked, and I nodded.

Good, yes. But May wasn't the one who did them. That was key. I _could_ connect the dots. _May_ didn't want to do a good thing again, so she was using someone else to do them for her and training someone's heart in the process. But not only was she doing that: she was getting more people involved. She handed out money to one thousand random people—who would, ultimately, give it back. Maybe it would inspire them to do something good.

And then the next one was bigger—donate to charity without any work. Go to the movies, see a controversial film about May, the heroine, who wasn't as good as they said. Get angry—_do_ something about it.

Small next. Spend time with someone. But I spent time with sixty-two little kids who would grow up and remember what I did. They would pay it forward, hopefully, and try to inspire someone else. They were good kids, and they could be good people, too.

Small crowd again—fifty people with fifty drawings. The only thing I really did was _listen_. I heard what these people had to say. I felt with them when they spoke of their troubles, gave them something to laugh at, helped them feel again. And maybe those people would do some good for someone else now.

Smallest for the end: a letter to one person.

She was trying to show that _everyone_ could do something good.

And the only way she could do that was to disappear. Otherwise she would be a distraction—the focus would be on _her_, not on her deeds.

That was why it was important that the first two were big. The media was obsessed with her, and I was a fine distraction for them. And, of course, she used her movie to set herself up as a villain, so when she finally did return, she could begin anew. Anything good she did would be good again, rather than a disappointment in relation to everything else. She left to escape the public eye, to be good from afar and to let someone else be good.

And the last three were smaller in order to pull me, her distraction, _away_ from the media. Sure, my little stunt with the orphanage had been publicized, but surely my drawings wouldn't. And my letter—still way in the back of my mind at this point—would be private. The media wouldn't know about that. But it would be _good_ all the same.

She was a genius. An idiot but a fucking genius.

"I know the road she's talking about. I had no idea that she used to live there, of course, but I used to spend a lot of time in Goldenrod," Lyra said, and I smiled at her.

It was so strange to think that I would find May soon. All I had to do was take the train from Saffron to Goldenrod, write a letter, and then I would get the truth from her. I would find her letter beneath that wobbly brick, she would tell me where she was, and that would be that. After spending all this time looking for her… it would finally happen.

I didn't think it would. For some reason, going through this, I almost thought that this was some never-ending game. But I always knew that she would be waiting at the end, the final prize for completing the game. Still, for the day to actually come when I would find her… it seemed like this whole thing had been a dream. Maybe a nightmare.

"The last stop, huh?" Nate asked, his voice soft and a little sad. When I looked at him, he smiled at me, but I could tell that this one was forced. "I'm happy for you, Steven. After all of your work trying to find her, you finally will."

A lump formed in my throat watching him, and I forced myself to turn away from him. That damn kid…

When I composed myself and looked at him again, Lyra had taken his hand and squeezed it, and I smiled at them. Noticing that I had my gaze on them again, she held her other hand out towards me. I hesitated for a moment, but I eventually slipped my hand into hers, too. I still couldn't bring myself to look Nate in the eye.

"Thanks, you guys," I said, and Lyra squeezed my hand, too. "Now, let's go. We have a train to catch."

I hadn't been on the train since May found me on it, despite my love for riding them back and forth. When we made it to the station back in Saffron, my heart ached a little, the familiarity of the building hurting. Maybe when I found May, I could go back and ride the trains with her again, perhaps under better circumstances.

I never gave much thought to what I would do when I found May… I knew that she would have to go tell the police that she was alive and well, assuming that she was. And the police would release that to the country, and news station from all over would come and try to get in touch with her. Maybe I could take her away from here, go somewhere abroad.

But deep down I knew that she wouldn't want to do that. She had left, sure, but I knew she was still in the country. This was her home, whether she had been exploited here or not. And she would be ready to face everyone here again, although she wouldn't take any shit this time. She wasn't going to smile at the camera and blow kisses—I knew that much.

"Steven…"

The train had started moving, but I was still standing beside some seats, Lyra and Nate staring up at me from their seats expectantly. I smiled, but it was as I did so that I felt something slip down my cheek. Reaching my hand up and touching my skin, I realized that I had been crying. I quickly wiped my eyes and sat down, embarrassed that Nate had seen it.

"Hey, I know you're going to miss me, but you don't need to cry about it," he told me sarcastically, and I chuckled. If there was one thing Nate was always good for, never once having failed me, it was a laugh.

Except… I _was_ going to miss him. That was the sad truth of it. I was excited to find May for sure, but… I knew what that meant. Nate wouldn't be traveling around with me anymore, and after all of this, that realization actually hurt. I knew well that I wasn't the most personable guy in the world, but I still cared.

And I was pretty sure that was why I never traveled with anyone. In all of my years of being a trainer… hell, in all of my years of living, I preferred being by myself. Because I knew that if I went with someone, I would always have to leave someone behind in the end.

But I laughed anyway, letting it take me over, and Nate and Lyra eventually joined in with me. Nate wasn't the only one who was good at hiding behind a smile.

So, I couldn't wait to get to May's house in Goldenrod. It was obvious that I was supposed to wait—that she probably planned for something enlightening to occur at her house, but I didn't want to anymore. I had done my fair share of waiting, and it was only fair that I could write my own letter when I wanted.

I pulled out the blank sheet of paper from the envelope and the pencil from my pocket and stood up, Nate and Lyra watching me curiously once again. "I'm going to write my letter now. I'll be back in a bit."

I walked away before either one of them could respond, sitting down at one of the tables in another compartment of the train. The ride was smooth, perfect for writing letters, and I couldn't help but wonder if May sat here while she was trying to find me and finished writing some of those final letters. Maybe she penned her last one in this very spot.

My very first thought was to write this letter to May. That was the obvious choice. But I knew that she never intended for it to go to her. I already gave her one once.

So, I wrote to someone else.

_Dear Nate,_

_By the time you read this letter, you and I will have gone our separate ways. Perhaps it was May's intention for me to write this letter to someone else, but she did say anyone. Of course, you're not really just anyone. You're this crazy-haired kid with a bit of an attitude who likes to crack jokes at times when it isn't really appropriate—then again, sometimes your timing is impeccable._

_You know me and the rules, though. We don't really get along. So, you're the lucky recipient of May's final task._

_This is awkwardly touchy-feely, and I know you'll probably laugh your way through this. Writing letters is sort of weird. May is more suited towards it than I am. But I doubt you'll be able to read my chicken scratch, anyway, so maybe I'm safe here. Actually, I'm sincerely hoping you can't read it because this is kind of embarrassing._

_I guess these are words that you really ought to read, though. I want to thank you for asking to join me on my search for May—to thank you for forcing me into the tournament at the PWT—to thank you for using me. I really want to thank you in general, but that's not nearly specific enough. You need to know everything that you've done for me._

_I had an offer from someone else to join me on my search for May, and I declined his offer. So, why did I let you tag along? I didn't even like you when you asked. You were kind of annoying. You still kind of are. To be honest, I don't really know why I let you. You were persistent, and you said you were good at finding people. I guess you just annoyed me so much that I didn't want to have to listen to you beg._

_This is really a nice thank you letter, huh?_

_But the thing is, if you didn't come with me, I don't think I'd be sane anymore. I was in a rough spot when we met, and if you hadn't asked me to go to the PWT, I would have been worse off. And when you joined me, you brought that ridiculous sense of humor with you, and I was able to laugh again. If it hadn't been you, I don't think I would have made it through this._

_You just need to know that even though you hate who you have become, I don't. And I know you want to leave the good guy behind, but you are, in fact, a good guy. Not because you're a hero but because you're a great friend._

_Sappy, I know. Sorry. Try to keep your tears to a minimum. I'm sure it will be difficult._

_I know you want to quit, and I said that quitting is okay sometimes. But don't GIVE UP. There's a difference between the two, as subtle as it is. Remember what May said: Keep. Getting. Better._

_You've been a great friend to me. Thank you for not giving up on ME._

_Sincerely, and with all the thanks I can give,_

_Steven Stone_

_P.S. You really do need a haircut, buddy._

I folded the letter back into thirds, stuffing it inside the envelope. Licking along the top, I sealed the envelope shut. In my messy handwriting—even worse because my hand was shaking so terribly for reasons unbeknownst to me—I scrawled his name on the front of the envelope and stuffed the letter into my pocket.

By the time I finished, the train was pulling into Goldenrod. In just a few short minutes, I would know where May was. So, I went back to sit with Nate and Lyra while the train slowed to a stop, knowing well that finding May meant leaving them behind.

* * *

**Author's Note:** A couple of people have hit May's intentions in starting this game almost right on the head—nailed it pretty well! Even though the game is kind of crazy, her intentions in starting it were good. Of course, I didn't have to tell you that. Her tasks have all been with good intentions.

All right, so some details about my books, _Aerosion_, _Aquarius_, and _Aurea_. Visit my profile page for links to the books on Amazon. You can purchase paperback copies there or Kindle editions. I think there is also an eBook version of the paperback that's a little different than the Kindle version. I'm not one-hundred percent sure on that.

I'm also working on getting the books to Barnes & Noble and stores like that. You can help by going to your local retailer and REQUESTING the books specifically once I get that set up. It should be in a week or so. They'll be able to order some there, too. That way, if you don't have a credit card or whatever to purchase them online, they'll be able to order them into the store for you. This is still in the works, though, so I'll let you know more details on that. This information is all available on my profile page now, so you can follow that, too. Especially if I finish this fanfic before that is set up. I don't think I will, but we'll see.

So, thanks for being patient, and I hope you like my books!


	21. The Final Letter

**Chapter Twenty – The Final Letter**

Goldenrod was bright.

That was the first thing I noticed. I had been there before, just briefly while leaving and going to the train station, but that was usually at night when there were only streetlights to light up the path in front of me. But here now, when the sun was only just starting to set, right before the twilight when the sun was at an angle perfect for reflecting off of everything, the city practically glowed.

My first thought was that it was annoying and made it a little bit too hot. Of course, knowing that I had complained too often about the cold back in Sinnoh, I figured that I had no right to complain about the heat now. So, I shoved that thought aside, and my next thought was that it was actually nice. It somehow made everything easier to see.

And May got to see this everyday when she was growing up here. Mossdeep, more often than not, was perpetually clouded over, so even though the temperature was nice, I wouldn't ever call the weather "pleasant". But this… this was pleasant. I could definitely see how happy one could be living in a place like this.

May didn't talk about her life before Hoenn a lot, but I got her to share her secrets once. After prodding her far too often, I thought she would never say anything about it. But it was purely by accident that she did—although I wouldn't say that she wasn't conscious of her decision to say anything. It simply came up in conversation.

"I have a meeting with the gym leaders today," I had told her one morning when we were just sitting around at Ever Grande. It was right after she became Champion, maybe a month or two into her reign, back when she used to visit Ever Grande—and me—all the time. We didn't do much back then. I had a feeling she just liked to hide there. "Want me to say hi to your dad for you?"

"No," she responded curtly, as if she was talking to him and not me. She had always been a little bitter whenever she spoke about her dad, yet when she beat him and got his badge, she had been really excited telling me about it. "I used to be able to talk to him all the time. Back when we were in Johto, he would come home from training and tell me all about it. He was just a trainer in a gym back then, but at least I saw him. I loved living in Johto."

"You don't like Hoenn?" I nudged her with my elbow, slightly joking, but when she looked at me, she was completely somber. "Hey, it's just his job. You're usually busy now, too. And if it's any consolation, you know I barely talk to my dad—that's part of being an adult, right? Moving on from your parents and stuff? Huh?"

She smiled then, finally nudging me back with her elbow. "I guess so. Anyways, Hoenn is pretty nice, too. Just different."

I didn't realize, of course, how different she thought it was, and I didn't think that she really thought it "nice". In Johto, she didn't have to save the whole region. But then, who was to say that if she stayed there she wouldn't have stopped Team Rocket instead of Lyra? Would Johto have been as different as Hoenn?

Johto and Hoenn were different, though. I could give her that much. Even though they were right next to each other in terms of geography, they couldn't have been further apart in terms of culture. As soon as we stepped out of the train station and onto the sidewalk, Nate, Lyra, and I got smiles from everyone walking by. People were _friendly_ here. Maybe it was all the sun.

It wasn't that people in Hoenn weren't friendly. They were. But people in Hoenn were more… well, like me. Kind of reserved, a little antisocial. We could be nice, but we didn't go out of our ways to smile at strangers. That friendliness paired with the sun shining way too brightly was a little overwhelming while, at the same time, strangely therapeutic.

"My eyes. I think I'm going blind," Nate said, holding his hands out in front of him and closing his eyes. Lyra took hold of his wrist, pulling him forward along the sidewalk, and I rolled my eyes. A part of me wondered if he did that on purpose just so she would do that. The other part of me _knew_ that he did.

"Lyra, you know where Camp Road is?" I asked, and she stopped, while Nate kept going and almost knocked her over.

She dropped Nate's wrist and pointed, squinting up at some of the street signs. "Yeah, it's just up here. Not a far walk at all. I'll show you!"

Without further warning, she grabbed Nate's wrist again and pulled, breaking into a sprint. I followed closely behind, listening to Nate complain about how she was pulling his arm out of its socket the whole time, but she never stopped. She kept running and running, and I wondered if she wanted this game to be over more than I did. After I reminded her of her rather unpleasant past, I didn't exactly blame her.

And then we found it. Number 16. It reminded me a lot of her house in Littleroot, actually, despite the fact that it was plopped in between two other houses and had no yard at all. In fact, it wasn't really anything like her house in Littleroot. This one was only one-story, a flat little house that looked like it went further back than side-to-side. And it was a different color entirely, a golden brown brick rather than wood-paneled.

But somehow, it was just like her house in Littleroot. I couldn't exactly figure out why. Maybe it was just because I knew that she once lived here, once stepped out that front door and played jump rope with her friends or hopscotch on the hot brick pavement. This was long before she became a trainer, back when she was just a little girl. She was different then, too. But she would eventually become the best.

"Do you want to see if anyone is home?" Lyra asked, and I shook my head. There was no point in bothering the new tenants—although "new" wasn't exactly true anymore. They had probably lived in the house longer than May had now. I wondered if they knew that the previous tenants' daughter was a champion in another region. I wondered if they knew she was missing.

"I like it," Nate announced, stepping closer to the house and turning around to face us. When Lyra and I stared at him, he rolled his eyes. "What? May said to see what she saw standing outside her house."

"You're right," I told him, and I stepped up next to him, turning around and facing the same way as he did now. Lyra followed, lining up on the other side of Nate and facing the street, too.

We all stood there for a moment, glancing around the road to see what May had once seen. Camp Road was kind of off the main street, situated in what seemed like a secluded neighborhood. The street itself was a dead end, leading only to houses, but maybe that was the point. Camp Road was a dead end…

"It's so… _urban_," Nate said after a minute or so, crossing his arms with a huff. "Where's a kid supposed to play in a place like this?"

"The street, I guess." Lyra jumped down into the road, playing hopscotch with the bricks. "I'm sure she made due. Besides, Route 34 and Route 35 are to the south and north of here—kids are always playing in the fields there. My friend Ethan's grandparents run a Pokémon daycare center down on Route 34, and the Goldenrod kids are always going there to watch the Pokémon play."

May used to play with her dad's Pokémon, too. I could practically picture the little May shouting commands, imitating her dad. She probably battled wild Pokémon in the fields on Routes 34 and 35.

"You think we've looked long enough? You've already written your letter, right, Steven? Why don't we go find her last letter?" Nate suggested, and I nodded. I didn't know what May wanted me to see exactly, but that was probably the point of making me come here. There wasn't anything in particular that she wanted me to see. She just wanted me to _look_.

We snuck through the alley on the side of May's old house to the road behind it. The loose brick was an easy find. As soon as Lyra stepped on it, she nearly tripped, and it made a soft clicking noise against the other bricks.

My stomach was a little queasy, and my heart pounded so hard against my chest that I thought it might break through. This was it—the last letter. I didn't know why I was so nervous… but I was. A part of me didn't want to lift that brick to see what was below, but why wouldn't I? May was waiting for me to find her.

Nate patted my shoulder, smiling at me and holding his thumb up. I inhaled slowly, swallowing to keep down whatever threatened to come up, and picked up the brick. Sure enough, the corner of a dirty envelope stuck up from the mud beneath the brick, and I tugged on the corner to release it. It was a little gross, but the letter inside was completely protected.

I slipped my finger beneath the flap and ripped the envelope open. With another deep breath, I unfolded the paper inside.

_Dearest Adventurer,_

_I want to thank you for allowing me to put you through this game. I understand that you had to give up not only time as a sacrifice for this journey, but you had to give me much of yourself, too. I admire the fact that you stuck it out until the very end, which I was unable to do. You are a better person than I, and I wish you all the best as you continue on the adventure we call life without my letters._

_That's right, friend. As promised, this is the end of the road, my final letter to you. If I was around to witness what you did for me and the things you have said, I'm sure that it would have been both beautiful and entertaining. You have done what I was unable to do. I meant what I said in my last letter to you. Anyone can do good things, and I hope you remember that._

_If you were someone that I knew, please know how sorry I am. I realize that I probably put everyone close to me into a panic by leaving, but know that I am happier now than I have ever been. And if my selfishness does not console you, please bring this letter to whomever needs to read it. Protect all of the people you need to protect because I know you are that kind of person._

_If I did not know you, then I would have been glad to have met you. I'm sorry that I put you through all of this for a person you never even knew, but I hope it was worth your while. If you dislike me for what I did and who I became, then I'm sure you are not alone. If you do not dislike me, then perhaps we are even more alike than I thought. Be careful not to lose yourself._

_I leave you, my dearest Adventurer, with this last piece of advice: when you aim for the sun, be sure not to get too close. You may fall into the sea and find yourself abandoned._

_With all of the love I have left,_

_Ex-Champion May_

No… No…

That couldn't be it. That couldn't be everything. There had to be more, there had to be… something, something somewhere! There had to be another letter, another clue, another anything—something that told me where she was! I didn't come all of this way—all the way around this damn country—just to find a piece of paper!

How, after all this time, could she have done this to me? Why would she leave me with just a note but nowhere to go? Didn't she understand how much I loved her, how much I… I wanted to find her? Didn't she _know_?

"May!" I yelled, throwing the letter to the side and dropping to my knees. I could hear Nate and Lyra scrambling for the letter behind me, but I didn't care. I tore up the earth beneath the brick, digging and searching for something that the rational side of my brain told me I would never find. My frantic scratching screamed around me, all I could hear, a melodic desperation that only brought tears to my eyes. But I kept digging and digging anyway until my fingers were black, praying that she wouldn't let me down in the end.

But there was nothing there. I stopped digging, kneeling against the ground in disbelief. I felt Nate squat down beside me, but I ignored him when he reached a hand out in front of me. No, I wasn't giving up yet. This wasn't the end. There had to be another letter somewhere. I just… I must have skipped over something in her letter.

"Steven," Nate said quietly, shaking the hand he held out in front of me. I stood up without it, turning around and gesturing for Lyra to give me the letter. Her bottom lip trembled as if she was fighting back tears, and she passed the letter back to me and looked down.

I read it again and again and again. There was no clue… no clue number whatever we were on. Eight maybe? Did it matter?

"Steven, it's over—there's nothing…" Nate stopped, hesitating, but I didn't look at him. "I mean, we can keep looking. I'll keep looking with you. Just… Steven, don't… don't let yourself think that she's gone or anything. She's out there somewhere waiting for you. You just need to… to keep looking for her."

Gone? Everything in that letter pointed to the fact that she was dead! Was he dense? Was he really _that_ dense? It was written out for him right here in the letter I was holding! He read it—he saw it! She was absolutely gone!

So, I didn't want to be the one to find her like that…

I let the letter slip from my fingers again, and it fell slowly to the ground. Lyra and Nate were just standing, staring, but I still couldn't bring myself to look at them. I walked down the road a little bit, unable to stand near that letter anymore. But I didn't know where I could go. Where was I _supposed_ to go?

"Steven, come on, wait a minute. We need to talk about this."

Of course Nate couldn't give me a minute to myself… I didn't want to even see his face anymore—I knew what I would see in it. And when he touched my shoulder, I yanked myself away. Couldn't he just leave me alone?

"Steven, look at me," Nate demanded, his tone firmer, and I could see him reach for me again out of the corner of my eye. I smacked his hand away, turning back around to face him but continuing to avoid his gaze. "Just tell us what you need us to do!"

"You don't get it!" I yelled at him, throwing my hands up in the air in exasperation. I needed him to leave me alone! "You have no idea. What the hell is the point of continuing? She's not going to be there. And what is _your_ point? What can you gain from this? What _have_ you gained? Nothing!"

"I just wanted to feel something again, Steven!" Nate shouted, pushing me backwards. I looked away again, but I could feel his letter sticking out in my pocket. "For so long, I've felt nothing at all. At least she felt something. At least she felt pain. She felt it enough to change this world we live in! So, are you just going to stand here and give up, or are you going to keep on fighting? Because I want to fight now, Steven! May made me want to fight!"

I didn't say anything. May promised that I would change by playing this game, and maybe that applied to all of the players. Nate, standing here in front of me, was so different from the boy I first met. But I didn't want to change. I wanted to go back to the beginning, to never have played this game, to have never met Nate.

"Look at me, Steven. Damn it, Steven, look at me!" Nate pleaded, and I curled my hands into fists. He pushed me again, and I finally socked him a good one, hitting him right in the jaw because I didn't care anymore. He fell down to the ground, and Lyra cried out, kneeling down beside him. And while he sat on the ground rubbing his face, I finally looked at him.

He didn't look the least bit angry with me. His eyebrows weren't furrowed in a rage, his eyes not narrowed into slits. The look he gave me instead was pitying. His lips were pressed together, his gaze soft. And it made me so disgusted seeing that look that I had to turn away, my whole body shaking in anger.

"I'm going home," I told them. I pulled the letter to Nate out of my pocket and tossed it on the ground, letting it fall just like May's final letter before I walked away from them forever.

When I turned a corner, I sent my Skarmory out and ordered it to bring me back to Hoenn, climbing on its back and letting it carry me away.

I knew I shouldn't have been angry or upset. I knew forever that there was always a possibility that May would be dead—and I had convinced myself that if she was, I would be okay. I had accepted—or thought I accepted—her death. But I was also so sure that she was alive. So hopeful. And this was my punishment for hoping.

The flight back home wasn't long, but it still gave me too much time to think. Considering how often May had made me cry over the course of her game, I had no tears left. The only thing I felt now was betrayal, as though May promised me that she was the prize in the end. But, I realized, I had only convinced myself of that.

When I made it back home, I walked inside and into the bathroom, throwing off my dirty clothes and hopping into the shower. I had left some of my stuff in Nate's bag, but I didn't really care. He could keep it—my gift to him.

I got out of the shower after spending too much time in it again, and I wrapped a towel around myself, wiping the fog off the mirror with my arm. When I saw my reflection, I shook my head and laughed. Had I gotten so used to crying that I couldn't even feel tears anymore? And here I thought I had nothing left.

Who was I kidding? What a joke.

May was dead…

I shouldn't have left that letter behind. Jameson was going to find out that I was back in Hoenn soon enough, and when he did, I knew for a fact that he would incarcerate me, whether he thought I did it or not. Hell, I read that letter enough times that I probably had it memorized now—it would be easy enough to reproduce. But not in her handwriting—not the script that had become so familiar to me.

Well, we had all lost in the end. The game bore no victor. She was right, though. Without the reward, what was the point of doing anything good?

She was never Icarus at all. It was me—all along, it was me. _My_ hubris. I was so sure that May would be at the end of this, so convinced by my own abilities, that I _couldn't_ accept the alternative. As long as it was _me_ looking for her, there was no way that I wouldn't find her. Why else would I have gone through with this? Why else didn't I give that first letter to the police?

Fuck Icarus. He ruined everything. Why'd he have to fly across the sun, anyway?

What did she write at the end? Her final piece of advice? _When you aim for the sun, be sure not to get too close. You may fall into the sea and find yourself abandoned._ Ridiculous. I had been flying too close all along, and I'd already fallen. Now here I was, staring at my reflection in my mirror, my only companion now. Abandoned, huh?

Wait.

_Wait_.

What if… what if her final piece of advice wasn't advice at all but a clue? Maybe I was reading into it too much, but she did the same thing for me. She read into the letter I left her too much, as well, and that was how she found me. So, what if it was a clue?

And if that was true… if where I thought this clue led was right, then the answer had been there since the very beginning. The story of Icarus had been there all along, after all.

She _did_ tell me where she was. And I knew exactly where she was waiting for me.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I like to think of this chapter as very "raw". It's a little… messy. Maybe you noticed, haha. Maybe not. But it's very indicative of everything Steven is feeling—and not feeling, too. It's sort of dry at times—like when Steven sort of shuts down. Other times, it's kind of rushed—like when Steven is panicking.

Anyway, anyone want to place bets?

I've got two chapters left for you. I always like to warn people of when my stories are ending—I considered just letting this end when the time came and having it be a surprise, but doesn't that seem a bit cruel? I mean, when you're reading a book, at least you can see how many pages you have left, you know?

And has this really been a five month process? Wow! Thanks for sticking with me so long!


	22. Tales of Icarus

**Chapter Twenty-One – Tales of Icarus**

I ran into my bedroom, grabbing a fresh pair of pants and a shirt from my closet and throwing them on haphazardly. My shirt ended up buttoned lopsidedly, shifted two slots up, and I threw my towel over my head while I fixed it. I barely had my pants done up as I shoved the towel to the floor and ran out my front door, only to trip over something that I was pretty sure hadn't been there before.

When I stood back up and looked back, I saw Nate sitting on my steps rubbing the back of his head. In his other hand, he held my letter, opened and—I assumed—read. And somehow, despite how mean I had been to him in Johto, when he looked up at me, he smiled. It wasn't pitying, like I thought it might be if I saw him again, but friendly.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. I was pretty sure I was staring at him with a stupid look on my face, my mouth agape and my eyebrows furrowed. Nate, on the other hand, continued to smile at me as if I hadn't just tripped over him—as if I hadn't just yelled at him not too long ago, as if we didn't fight.

"Did you follow me?" I asked, knowing that it was the only explanation for him being here. How else would he know where I lived?

"Yeah. I didn't think you'd come out so quick, though," he responded, his tone light. I shoved my hands in my pockets, noticing the red mark on his chin where I had punched him. When he noticed that was where I was staring, he waved a hand at me. "It's not like I haven't taken a punch before. Don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry, Nate," I apologized anyway. "I'm so sorry. If I hurt you at all—"

Nate waved even more frantically, still smiling despite everything. "Stevie," he said, finally rising from his spot on my steps. Just my name… not even my name, really, but a nickname that I never really liked, something my dad would call me only because I never told him off. Yet I had told Nate off a thousand times for calling me that…

But not this time.

So, I swallowed, nodding because that was all I could manage. Then, brushing a strand of wet hair from in front of my eyes, I took a deep breath to compose myself. "Where's Lyra?" I finally managed to ask, but only half of me wanted to know the answer. Plus, I knew that I was just avoiding the bigger issue here.

But Nate, smooth as always, just laughed and threw his hands up, still holding my letter tightly in his grip. "You know how girls are—well, actually, I guess it's the complete opposite. Never can figure them out," he joked, as if that answered my question. When I didn't laugh, he elaborated, "She figured that this was between you and me, so she elected to stay behind. I hope you know that I'm giving up a perfect opportunity to get her to go out with me because of you."

He could make all the jokes he wanted, and I knew he was going to keep them coming so long as I avoided the two things we needed to address. That was, after all, his best defense, and he _was_ currently on the defense right now—but unlike earlier, he wasn't protecting himself from me. No, he was protecting _me_ from me.

"Sorry," I repeated. Finally, I gestured to the letter in his hand. "You, um… you read it? I intended to give it to you on, er, better terms."

"Yeah, I read it. But I followed you before that. I wasn't mad, Stevie," he assured me, and I let him call me that again. "I have to say, though… I almost threw up a couple of times—this letter was probably the sappiest thing I have ever read. Like a… like a chick-flick or something. I thought you were going to profess your love for me at the end or something, so, you know, at least the conclusion wasn't stereotypical. And I do _not_ need a haircut. My hair is the perfect length, thank you very much."

I had to admit, I felt a little guilty for standing here and laughing while I knew where May was waiting for me. But it burst from me before I could stop it, and I threw my head back and laughed, all of Nate's jokes finally building up all at once. And he was so _proud_ of himself, smiling there like it was all part of his plan.

"I hate you," I managed to squeak out, wiping my eyes as tears formed—yet again, but this time from laughing too hard.

"Ah, but you really love me. Come on, give me a hug! This is a touching moment!"

Nate held his arms out, and I pushed him away—not that this really deterred him. To anyone walking by, this probably would have been a curious scene. But, I knew, this was just us. Wallace had always been my best friend, but we were very professional with each other despite that. With Nate, on the other hand, there was no way to be serious for too long. He was the best friend I could ask for… and I had been such an asshole to him.

Finally, after Nate caught me and sufficiently embarrassed me, he retreated back to the steps, but he didn't sit down this time. "In all seriousness," he said, as if that was such a thing, "what you said in the letter means a lot to me. So, shouldn't it mean a lot to you, too? Are you going to just give up because May didn't tell you where she was directly? I know… I _know_ she's alive. You said it yourself—I'm like her. And if I say she's alive, she is."

"Well, at the very least, I know where she is now." I shoved my hands in my pockets as Nate raised his eyebrows, his jaw slacking slightly. "It should have been obvious to me all along. She's been pushing that story about Icarus, right? The kid flew too close to the sun and fell into the sea and drowned. And her last piece of advice mentions it almost directly—she says not to fly too close to the sun because you'd fall into the sea and find yourself abandoned. There's an abandoned ship just east of Dewford that was a pretty popular tourist attraction several years ago, but the government banned exploration because it became too dangerous. I would bet anything that she's there, somewhere in the ship where she can live without anyone bothering her."

"And if she's not?" he wondered, of course going straight to the question I didn't want to think about.

But the answer was obvious now: "I keep looking."

Nate smiled, folding the letter back into the envelope and shoving it into his bag. In exchange, he pulled out a Poké Ball that I knew contained his Braviary. "Lead the way, buddy."

I had to admit, I felt guilty flying with Nate again as if nothing happened. It wasn't as if we had time to settle this—I fought with him earlier _today_, not yesterday or a week ago. He was so nonchalant about it, and it worried me a little bit. I knew what I said to him, knew what I did, and I didn't know why he was forgiving me.

But I was glad that he was. I always pictured saving May by myself, even when Nate joined my team, but now that I thought about it, I wasn't sure I could go alone. It wasn't that I was afraid of seeing her again… I knew, and I was sure Nate did, too, that as soon as I found her, he would be the third wheel temporarily. I was just afraid of what would happen if she wasn't there.

I already freaked out once—I was hoping that I was past that. Hell, I was a twenty-four-year-old man. I was mature enough to handle this like one.

Who was I kidding? If she wasn't there, I knew I might break down again. Hopefully I wouldn't punch Nate again, though.

Something ached in my stomach as the abandoned ship came into view, and I flew a little closer to the sea. The ship had crashed into a sandbar years and years ago and half-sunk, and the crew fled on their Pokémon to Slateport. For some reason, instead of towing the boat into a dock, the ship was left there, where it became a fun spot for trainers. I had never been, but I vaguely remembered May mentioning it once to me.

"It makes me feel a little sad," she told me. "The ship crashed, and everyone just left it behind. It wasn't even worth going back for."

But I was going back. She was worth it.

I looked at Nate and pointed at the ship, and he nodded. We landed on the sandbar, our legs still half-sunk in the water. How the ship's crew didn't notice this sandbar, I didn't know, but they had done a good job getting stuck. It had, however, started to tip because of the waves lapping against it and the movement of the sand, and parts of the hull had begun to erode away. It had certainly seen better days.

Being this close to it and seeing the extent of the damage done made me even more nervous than I already was. How could May survived for over a month in this?

"If anyone sees us, we're done. Let's get inside before that happens," I suggested, and we climbed onto the deck of the ship. The floorboards were rotting away, and they squeaked as we stepped forward. Nate shot me a few questioning looks as we hopped over the rotten parts and prayed that we wouldn't fall through, and it was all I could do to stay confident.

We slipped inside the ship, where the floors were barely better and some of the walls had begun to fall apart. There was a hallway carpeted with algae, and most of the doors to the rooms along the hall had broken or disintegrated. I couldn't tell how many steps the staircase in the corner of the hallway had.

"Lovely place. No wonder they didn't want people coming here anymore," Nate commented, but when I looked at him, he smiled. "It's the perfect hiding spot, though. I'm sure May is here. Why don't we split up and check out the rooms on this floor, and if she's not in here, then we can go downstairs?"

I nodded. "Okay. Holler if you find her."

I knew, of course, that she wasn't going to be in any of the rooms on this floor. There would always be people like Nate and me who broke the rules. I could only guess as to how many people had still been on this ship since it was marked as condemned. It would be too easy for someone to find her if she was up here.

But deeper in the ship where only the bravest of trainers dared go… that sounded more her style.

Still, we were better off checking every crevasse of this place before deciding if she wasn't here. So, Nate and I did as he suggested, splitting up and peeking into each of the rooms. Sure enough, May wasn't hidden away in any of them. There was nothing left really. People had looted whatever they could get their hands on…

We headed downstairs and checked the rooms there. "Maybe she's not here?" Nate asked when she wasn't in any of those rooms, either.

I had been so sure. This seemed to fit her clue… it was abandoned in the sea—what else was she looking for? Unless I really did look too much into her final piece of advice… Did she really intend for this game to go without finding her?

I got it now… the point of the game had never been to find her. But still… didn't she owe me something for going away without telling me?

Sighing, I walked over to the stairs and took a seat on the first step—or I would have if it didn't break beneath me. The wood collapsed, and I fell with it, though I was relatively unscathed despite my embarrassment. And when Nate started laughing, it really didn't help, although it made me laugh with him.

"Don't you say it," I warned him. I was pretty sure that I knew him well enough now to know what he was thinking, and it wasn't a nice insult.

He grinned, crossing his arms. "You make it too easy." Then, holding out his hand, he helped pull me to my feet, and the two of us sat down a little exasperatedly against a wall. Luckily the floor didn't give out beneath us, but I wouldn't have been surprised if it did. There was probably just water below this floor, anyway, judging from the flooding.

"Have you ever thought you knew someone really well… and it turned out that you really didn't know anything about them?" I wondered quietly, leaning my head against the wall and hoping that it didn't fall, too. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nate watching me curiously, but I didn't look at him.

After a silent moment, he finally responded, "Yeah. I think we all have, right? Maybe I've been that friend to someone."

That was true. I never really thought about it from the perspective outside of my own. What if I was someone that no one ever knew? Was I withholding something, separating myself from everyone else? It was an obvious fact that I was a less-than-cordial champion compared to all of the others. I didn't go out of my way to make friends. But what if I wasn't who everyone thought?

But May… None of us ever had a clue.

"You know, I think May is an amazing person. She might have made a selfish decision by leaving, but I wouldn't say it was a wrong one. What do you think would have happened to her if she hadn't left?" Nate asked, and I looked at him then. His expression was somber and a little distant, such an unusual face for him. "She did a good thing."

"I just wish there was an easier way she could have done this, you know? I… I thought that I was someone she could talk to, and it turns out that I wasn't." I sighed, holding my face in my hands, my elbows against my knees. "I think I'm burnt out, Nate. I'm not sure how much more tug-and-war I can play with my heart."

He didn't say anything in response, maybe because he didn't have one. We sat in silence together for a couple of minutes, and I almost thought that he had fallen asleep until he shifted beside me, slapping his cheeks a couple of times. It drew attention to the red mark on his chin, and I wondered if it hurt.

"You know the tale of Icarus?" he asked suddenly, and I raised my eyebrows. "He was just excited to fly, wasn't he? He thought that he could do more than he could… but that was all because he liked flying. It was something new, something he never experienced before. I mean, maybe he should have listened to his dad, but was he really in the wrong? How can you know your limits without testing them?"

This time I didn't respond. He was right, after all. I wasn't going to know my limits, either, unless I kept going. Maybe it was true that I was the real Icarus in all of this, but that was okay with me now that I calmed down. So, I could keep on flying and go too far, only to fall back into the sea… or I could play it safe and be content with just finishing her game.

I was sure that Nate knew my choice as well as I did.

"Well," Nate began, slapping his hands against his thighs and then pushing himself to his feet. He walked backwards away from me, rubbing his hands together and shrugging. "Is there anywhere else to check on the ship? She could—"

I gasped, reaching a hand out towards him as if it would do anything. He stepped into the water on the side of the ship, which was fine until he fell down into it. He dipped below the surface, and I scrambled to my feet and hurried to the edge, watching as he bobbed back up and crawled to the side. He coughed, spluttering water out of his mouth, and ran a wet hand over his face.

"Shit. Did _not_ see that one coming," he coughed again, reaching a hand back down beneath the water and coming up with a Poké Ball. "Hold up a sec."

A Carracosta burst from the ball, just its head poking up from the water. Nate grabbed onto its shell and went down into the depths with it, and I stared into the hole. It was only a few seconds before Nate popped back up, brushing his flat hair—which looked even longer now that it was wet and therefore affirmed the fact that he needed a cut—out of his eyes.

"There's another hallway here, and it leads up to another part of the ship. If you don't mind getting wet, I think this is worth checking out," Nate told me.

_Anything for May_, I thought, pushing myself into the hole with Nate. I didn't have a water-type Pokémon—although another one might not have fit—so I hung onto his Carracosta, too, and it pulled us through the watery hallway. My eyes stung when I opened them, the salt burning them, and I fought to keep looking around. Carracosta, though, seemed to know where to go.

It brought us through another hole in the wall, and by this time my breath was almost up. Thankfully, it pulled us to the surface, and we were met with another hallway and set of rooms. Nate returned Carracosta to its ball, resting his face against the shallowest part of the flooded hall. I patted his back, smiling at him as my lungs tried to remember how to breathe normally.

"Nice going. It looks like there are just a couple of rooms here, but… who knows, right?"

I pulled myself out of the hole, grabbing Nate's hand and tugging him out after me. There was no use worrying about our wet clothes, but it felt like I was walking with weights attached to my arms and legs.

We waddled into the first room, glancing around in hopes of seeing something. This room, at least, hadn't been stripped of everything. There were still tables and chairs here, most with all of the legs still attached, but there were holes in the floorboards here, too. Still, it didn't look nearly as worn as the other rooms. The damage here was from the crash and water, not necessarily from humans.

"May!" I called, hoping to hear a response. Only my own voice called back, echoing against the damp walls. I sighed, smiling weakly at Nate. My heart felt as heavy as my clothes, another weight holding me down. "Might as well check the other rooms."

I was ready to give up once I hit the fourth room without any luck, but it was a phenomenal thing that I didn't.

There, lying on her side against the floor, was a girl. Her clothes were familiar to me—she had worn that outfit during her last interview, the one that I always saw on television. Her hair, normally in pigtails, was instead down and pulled slightly over her face. From what I could see of her face, though, her eyes were shut, her mouth barely open in a way that made her look at peace. But, despite that, she was gaunt, the color of her skin not nearly as pink as it should have been.

I ran to her side, sliding down to my knees and grabbing her hands. They were cold, her fingertips pruned from overexposure to water. When she didn't respond to my touch, I pulled her against my chest, cradling her head in one of my hands while I kept her hand in my other. I could barely remember what it felt like to touch her, but she seemed so much smaller now.

"May," I whispered. And then I said it again and again and again, and Nate knelt down beside me and put a hand on my shoulder. I couldn't tell if that was her heart beating or my own. I was pretty sure I didn't want to know.

In the end, I was right. She meant for that final piece of advice to be a clue, but it was only something that I could figure out—I knew it. That was the point: to look into things too much, to do something about your feelings. If only I looked into her first letter too much, I could have been here sooner. I was too late now, though, too… too late.

And then something moved.

It was just the squeeze of my hand at first, but then her head moved against my chest. I pushed her slightly away from me, holding her so I could see her face, and she smiled at me with her eyes still shut. It was only when her eyelids fluttered and she looked me in the eye—just barely open a crack, maybe just enough to make out my face—that my lip trembled, and I pushed her head back against my chest.

"May," I sobbed one more time for good measure, "I won your game, right? I won?"

Her arms shook as she pulled away from me again, and it was then that I noticed how _ill_ she looked. It was more than just being gaunt. There was something funny about her bloodshot eyes, something way too weak about a strong girl like her, and her lips cracked as she smiled at me. But I didn't care just yet—she was _alive_. After all this time, she was alive.

"Steven," she croaked, her voice just as broken as she appeared to be, maybe from disuse. "My Adventurer. I hoped it would be you."

* * *

**Author's Note:** See, I'm not that mean. Those of you who have been reading my fanfictions for awhile know that, I'm sure.

Remember, there's one more chapter left! There are many questions left unanswered right now, so stick around for the final chapter to get your answers!

Also, the story of Icarus has obviously played a huge role in the story—you could even say that the story itself is the motif. I love that story, so I hoped you learned a little bit about it. (And if you like Greek mythology, buy my trilogy, cough-cough.)

I've set up the expanded distribution to bookstores, libraries, etc. as well. Unfortunately, it might take a couple of months to become available. Still, now that I've set it up, I think you might be able to put in requests for retailers! :)


	23. Towards the Sun

**Chapter Twenty-Two – Towards the Sun**

"May, are you ready to go?"

I poked my head into her hospital room, glancing around the room for her. The sheets had been pulled up on the bed, and she was instead sitting in one of the chairs facing out the window. She didn't turn around when I walked into the room, and when I sat down in the chair next to her, she didn't tear her eyes away from the window either.

"It was safe here," she muttered quietly, probably more for herself to hear than for me. I reached out and held her hand, squeezing her fingers, and she finally looked at me. Her face was fuller now, her skin peachy once again. When we first came, her eyes lost much of their fire, but I was starting to see it again.

Now, though, she seemed a little sad, even when she smiled at me. I couldn't blame her, really. Things had been chaotic once everyone found out that May was alive and back on the map. When the police got word that two men brought the missing champion to a hospital in Slateport, they wasted no time. The news was out within hours of May's arrival at the hospital that she was alive, and the news stations booked it here.

Needless to say, I had to make a couple of phone calls to calm them. Jameson owed me, anyway, considering that I had been the innocent main suspect for this whole thing. He had been the only one allowed into May's hospital room once she was out of ICU—besides Nate, me, her parents, and Wally, who was one of the first people I called and came to visit as soon as possible—and even though she told him the whole story honestly, we asked that Jameson relay only the necessary information to the general public and allow her to recover in privacy.

If nothing else, Jameson was a man of his word. "Champion May has indeed returned after getting trapped in the abandoned ship east of Dewford over a month ago. No foul play is suspected. She is currently undergoing treatment at the Slateport Hospital, and she is scheduled for physical therapy and psychiatric rehabilitation in the coming months. Her family and friends kindly request that you respect her privacy during this difficult time," he told the news stations, who broadcasted the interview nice and loud for everyone to hear. For the most part, everyone had been respectful since then.

Of course, May hadn't exactly been trapped in the abandoned ship, but Jameson said what he needed to say. In truth, May packed her things, brought enough food to last a couple of months, and made her new home in the ship. Unfortunately, at the time we found her, she was running low on food and was missing out on most of her essential nutrients. Suffering from malnutrition at that point, and getting even sicker from the algae growing on the boat, she probably wouldn't have lasted another week if we hadn't found her.

She also admitted that she planned on dying there if it came down to it. As much as she wanted to see the end of the game, she told us, she knew it wasn't likely, and there was no point in sticking around longer than necessary for a world she—in her words—couldn't save anymore. It was a pleasant surprise for her, then, that I did complete the game so quickly.

The hospital, of course, put her on suicide watch once she told them all that. She was signed up for psychiatric rehabilitation, which she didn't sound thrilled about since she thought she was perfectly sane. No one else agreed with her on that, and I unfortunately was one of the ones who didn't. There was some wire loose in her head, something that didn't sound quite right. But then again, I knew her from her letters.

And those letters were all the proof they needed. Some of them were in bad condition considering that they all got wet and ripped throughout our journey, but we gave all of them to Jameson, anyway. The psychiatrist who had been assigned to May's case read each one, and he requested immediate treatment. So, once per day, he would visit May's hospital room and talk with her about her game and her life before it.

While everyone agreed that the intention of her game was a good one, the psychiatrist was particularly concerned with the reasoning behind it. She was diagnosed fairly quickly with borderline personality disorder and depression, which were, at least according to the psychiatrist, getting better every day thanks to the medication and psychotherapy he prescribed to her.

She certainly seemed happier. Nate and I stayed at a hotel in the area and visited her at least once per day during visiting hours, and she had taken quite a liking to Nate—and he to her, although his thoughts about her were purely platonic (or so I hoped). I wasn't going to lie, though—their relationship, however innocent, made me jealous, and I tried to come up with excuses to go to her room alone. Of course, even then, she would usually ask where Nate was.

"Why do you care? You don't even know him," I told her one day, a little bitterly, when I came by myself. She had already been at the hospital for a couple of weeks, and she was in much better spirits. She was always in a good mood when Nate and I visited, but I could never tell if that was because Nate just made her laugh or if she was really happy again.

She grinned at me, kicking her legs over the edge of her bed and swinging them back and forth. "You jealous?"

"Yeah! I am!" I didn't mean to yell, and my cheeks burned red when it came out louder than I expected. May, though, just stood up from the bed and walked closer to me, her hands on her hips as she leaned forward and smiled up at me. "I just… I looked everywhere for you, May. I did everything you asked… and I can't help but feel like the game was for me all along."

Technically, we weren't supposed to even mention the game to her anymore, by request of the psychiatrist, but there were still questions unanswered at that point. I was sure that she had probably discussed most of them with her doctor, but… what about me? I was the Adventurer. Didn't I get some of the answers, too?

"Don't be so selfish," she said, standing up straight again and waggling a finger at me. I blinked, raising my eyebrows at this. "I didn't know who was going to find my first letter. Hell, anyone could have found any of the letters at any time. I didn't know what was going to happen… I just _hoped_ that it would be you. You know me too well, Steven."

"But—"

"When I wrote the first letter, I'll admit that I wrote it to you. But then… I decided, 'Hell, what if I made this bigger? Make it completely random?' So, I scrapped the letter and wrote a new one to the Adventurer." She turned her back on me now, walking over to the window and staring out. "A thousand random people. A movie theater filled with people you don't know. Spend time with anyone. Draw strangers. It's all completely random. So, I left the Adventurer up to chance, too."

She stared out the window a little longer, and when I didn't say anything in response, she spun around and walked towards me again. But she didn't stop—she kept walking, and I stepped back with her until I was against a wall. She craned her neck looking up at me, our faces inches apart, and I wanted to just grab her face and kiss her.

She beat me to it, though. She reached her hands up, holding one of my cheeks in one hand and she back of my neck in her other, and she kissed me first. "If there was one thing I missed, it was you," she whispered when we broke apart, and she touched her lips to mine again. And I broke down. I couldn't hold it anymore.

I grabbed folds of her shirt, leaning my face against her chest and sobbing into it. Other than when I first found her, I had been entirely composed around her. I never let my emotions get out of control because I didn't want her to know—didn't want her to _see_ how much she had hurt me. But I couldn't hold it in any longer, and when she brushed my hair with her hand, I just cried harder and harder. Was I so weak?

"I love you, May," I sobbed into her shirt, and she kept petting my hair. "I love you, and you… you could have been dead."

I couldn't finish my sentence, but I didn't have to. May pulled me back so she could look me in the eye, and she smiled at me despite the tears that were now dripping down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Steven, for everything. Just… knowing what type of world we lived in—the one that _I _lived in… I couldn't stay anymore without doing something. I would have told you except… I was scared that the one thing I had left to love might hate me. Chance was easier to face."

"I can't hate you. You're too good," I said, wiping the tears off her cheeks while they kept streaming down mine. She shook her head, the smile a little sadder. "Everything you did in this game… it was all so _good_. So, the next time you want to leave again, take me with you. Don't you leave without me."

She raised her eyebrows. "You say that like there will be a next time. But I promise." When I smiled, she kissed me again, leaning her forehead against mine. "Steven, can you tell me about the things you did as the Adventurer? I want to know all about it. And bring Nate with you, too, so I can hear what he has to say, too," she added, and when I narrowed my eyes, she smirked. "You're not going to let me be friends with your best friend?"

It didn't matter if I brought Nate or not, after all. It was me all along—me, the one who May loved. So, the next time I stopped by the hospital, I brought Nate with me, and we told her all about our travels. She never cared for a second that I broke her rules and told other people about the letters, probably because she liked Nate so much, but that had been all up to chance, too—trusting the Adventurer.

Nate embellished most of the stories while I set the record straight, and May loved hearing about how terrible my drawings had been, even requesting that I draw her. When I did, she hung the pathetic-looking stick figure up on her wall. She was amazed by what I had done at the orphanage, and she was proud of herself for the amazing editing she did on her movie. Apparently she had someone specifically film her saying those things, so nothing she said had been completely true. And, of course, she was happy that I patched things up with my dad.

I left out a lot of details, though, like all of the times I cried for her. It was a little embarrassing, after all. Nate, though, was kind enough to tell her about my wicked right hook, but May's response was about right: "You probably deserved it with that tongue of yours." Nate hadn't been very appreciative of that comment. I neglected to say that it wasn't really true, mostly because he did have an attitude.

Eventually, Nate returned back to Unova, but he took up letter-writing as a hobby, apparently, since I got a letter at the front desk of the hotel every morning. He said that I probably missed seeing letters now that the game was over, but I would be happy to never see another one again. I chose not to respond to his letters, however, and called him one afternoon on the phone to tell him to stop sending them to me.

"But Stevie!" he protested. "They're beautifully written letters!"

"Steven," I corrected, and eventually I convinced him not to send more letters.

Not that that really stopped anything. It was when I was checking out of the hotel this morning, the day of May's discharge from the hospital, that the concierge handed me a final letter with my name scrawled on the front in Nate's messy handwriting. It was curiosity that kept me from throwing it in the trash.

_Dear Stevie,_

_You wrote me a letter of thanks, so let me write you one. Actually, how about six?_

_T-H-A-N-K-S!_

_I also profess my love to you since you didn't profess yours in your letter. Or I would, anyway, except Lyra agreed to go on a date with me in Unova when I get back, so I don't think she'd appreciate my beautiful love affair with you. I'm sorry, Stevie, but it would never have worked._

_A Super Amount of Love,_

_Nate_

_P.S. You better stay in touch, Mr. Antisocial. And invite me to your wedding. That's an order. I call dibs on best man, okay?_

Curiosity was wrong. I threw the letter in the nearest trashcan and walked to the hospital down the road. I should have punched Nate one more time before he left.

But now, back in the room with her, I wished he was here again. Things had felt better in the last couple of weeks with May. She had always been happy when I stopped in, but I had learned to be more aware of her true feelings. She was perfectly content being in the hospital, but she had recovered physically and was on medication now. So, she didn't need to stay any longer. The psychiatrist even ended sessions a couple of days ago, anyway.

I understood her concern now, though. She had been left well enough alone while she was here, and I would bet my life that this was partially due to the staff at the hospital. I checked in every time I walked into the building, even though the nurse at the desk knew me by name now. News reporters sure as hell weren't getting in.

But as soon as she stepped out of this hospital, all of the protection guaranteed to her vanished. That was half the point of her game, wasn't it? To get away from the spotlight? It was the only way, after all, that she could do anything good again. It was the point of her movie—to make her look like a villain. And she knew that once she got back that it would start a revolution of sorts around her, which was, perhaps, half the reason why she was all right with dying on that ship.

I couldn't blame her for being scared.

So, as we sat in those uncomfortable hospital chairs, holding hands and passing fake smiles to each other, I let her cry a little bit before grabbing her pills and helping her take them. And when she swallowed the last one, I leaned down and kissed her, and the tears stopped coming. She patted my hand, a more genuine smile on her face this time.

"Come away with me," I blurted out before I could stop myself, and she raised her eyebrows, her mouth slightly ajar. Her cheeks turned bright red, and I imagined mine weren't so different. "Uh… What I mean is… you don't have to stay in Hoenn. I'll take you wherever you want to go—anywhere in the world. I just want you to be happy."

"Steven," she said quietly, and my ears started to burn with my cheeks, too.

"We could go to Unova. Nate just bought a new house out in Opelucid City. I mean… he's severing all ties, too. He retired his champion title and quit Pokéstar Studios—I don't see why you couldn't do the same thing. It would be a chance to start over, to…" I swallowed, noticing that May's surprised expression hadn't faltered in the least. "To be with me."

In truth, we hadn't talked much about what she was going to do once she left the hospital. It was a subject we religiously avoided, and now that the day arrived, neither of us really knew what was going to happen. She agreed, at the very least, that I would help her move back in with her parents for the time being, but then what?

It just made me think back to that last stop in Johto. She wouldn't be happy living with her parents, even if her dad was planning on taking some time off from the gym to spend time with her. I was certain that she had accepted what I told her, that she finally moved on from her parents. They, of course, clung to her now that she was safe and sound again.

I couldn't blame them, either. I did the same thing.

"Are you… asking me to move to Unova with you? To _live_ with you?" she asked, her tone a little incredulous, and I felt my heart sink in my chest. But then she smiled, and it lifted back up, like a buoy on the waves. "You always make me wait, Steven. I've been waiting for _weeks_ for you to ask me. I mean, you already have your own house—it would be rude of me to ask if I could come live with you. But if you're offering to go away with me…"

"We did make that promise," I told her, and I wondered if I looked _too_ happy. How happy was too happy? Was giddy borderline? "The next time you leave again, you're bringing me with you. So, this has to count, right? We'll move to Opelucid—if that's what you want to do. And Nate can show us around, help us get set up."

"Oh, well, as long as Nate's there," May joked, and I shot her a dark look. "I'm kidding. You're the only one I ever wanted to be with, Steven. As cheesy and… and _crazy_ as that sounds. Do you remember that night we slept together? And I told you that we could never do that again, and that I didn't want you to wait for me?"

If the blush had vanished from my cheeks, it was back again. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I remember," I said hesitantly, even though I remembered it all quite vividly.

"I was the one waiting for you, and I'm glad that I did. Anyone else, and it wouldn't have been the same. Anyone else, and I wouldn't be here," she said, standing up from the chair. She had struggled with that at first, but after weeks of physical therapy, she didn't need any help getting up anymore. "I want to be with you again, Steven, in every way possible. Is it all right if I lied about never doing that again?"

Yes, I was quite sure that the blush was back with a vengeance, but when she walked towards me, I narrowed the distance between us, too. Every time she got closer to me, I just wanted to hold her to make sure she was really there.

"Why, though?" she asked quietly. We were just inches apart now, our bodies touching, but our noses barely brushed. "Why would you fall in love with a crazy girl like me? That's what I am, isn't it? Crazy? Dr. Chalado doesn't like me to use that word, but it's true. Something went wrong in my head, I planned this absolutely… _ridiculous_ game that I'm still proud of, anyway… and I was completely okay with letting myself die. So, why?"

I took a step back from her, and she stared at me with that quizzical look that suited her so well. "Why?" I repeated, and she nodded encouragingly. "Well… you might be crazy, but you're a genius who sees the best in people despite being treated so horribly for years. I really admire you for what you've been able to do. And… I've loved you for a long time. It doesn't matter to me whether you're crazy or not."

"Huh." She smiled, putting her hands on her hips and nodding, as if impressed by my response. "Let's go, then."

May held her hand out towards me, and I stared at it for a few seconds. When I didn't take it, she wiggled her fingers, and I slipped my hand into hers. She tugged me, practically pulling my arm out of its socket, and picked up the small suitcase that her parents brought her for her stay in the hospital, packed tight now. Without another word, she pulled me out of the room, waving to some of the nurses along the way until we made it outside.

"The sun!" she yelled, dropping my hand and shielding her eyes as she looked at the morning star. I looked up at it, too, letting its rays touch my skin. Had it always burned so bright? "Oh, wow. It's been awhile."

I grabbed a Poké Ball, sending out my ever-faithful Skarmory and tapping May on the shoulder. She turned around, smiling once again. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore. No one would bother her in Unova, at least according to Nate, who had been doing quite well at his new house. We could be good together there.

"May." I held my hand back out towards her, and she slipped her own into it. "Let's get you home."

The two of us… If I was Icarus in the end, then she had to be the sun all along. A shot in the dark, something completely out of reach, but Icarus would always aim for it.

And this time, he just might make it there.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And there you have it, friends!

May's role in this story was a very strange thing for me. She was kind of the manipulator of everything that happened from behind-the-scenes, and I would go so far as to say she was the main antagonist—and it's pretty weird to have a protagonist who is so in love with the antagonist, haha. I'm glad she made a real appearance in this last chapter.

Fun fact of the day: Dr. Chalado's name means Dr. Crazy in Spanish.

Anyways, that's all I have. Hope you liked it! Watch for my new one-shot, "Synergy", coming soon! Here's a little synopsis:

Meet Lyra: confident, strong, and completely unbeatable. Or so she thought until she lost to the Elite Four. She's convinced that doesn't need help from anyone, least of all Falkner, who she deems "The Weakest Gym Leader in Johto". But he might very well be the key to beating the Elite Four, if only she can learn to accept help from someone outside of herself.

Remember, if you enjoyed this story, you might enjoy my novels, too! (Haha, I'm pushing this whole thing too much. Marketing, my friends. It's awful.)


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